The recent launch of the Quality Teaching and Learning campaign (QTLC) by the Eastern Cape Department of Education at the Qamata Great Place in Cofimvaba aimed at calling upon all individuals and organisations to assume their responsibility of being involved in the betterment of education as it is a societal matter.
From its inception provincially the campaign has been received warmly by all stakeholders, who have publicly proclaimed their commitment, even to an extent of signing the accompanying pledge. This national campaign resonates with the Learner Attainment Improvement Strategy (LAIS), a plan by the department to improve teaching and learning across the system provincially.
The expected success of learners through this campaign will go a long way in responding to the critical skills gap that is bedevilling the country. The continued consolidation and mainstreaming of QTLC will give the learners an opportunity to be integrated and participate in the mainstream economy as full citizens.
During the 2009/10 policy and budget speech the success of the learners according to Eastern Cape Department of Education, MEC Mahlubandile Qwase will only be achieved through strengthening the monitoring and assessment tools in the identified areas. These areas in which the department has seen credible improvement in ensuring that delivery of the curriculum is levelled include amongst others the following:
* In the embattled school nutrition programme, there has been an overall improvement in the operational systems, leading to increased target and output
* The department increased learner per capita expenditure for ‘no-fee’ schools in quintiles 1 and 2 from R554 to R775 and thus met the national norms and thresholds
* The endeavour to decentralise the core delivery closer to schools is on track as recruitment of personnel has reduced vacancy rate leading to improved service delivery
* There has been a significant improvement in labour relations with ongoing rapprochement and goodwill for the leadership of the department playing an important role
* Infrastructure and resourcing for schools have been accelerated significantly with the department building 12 model schools in rural areas in order to stem the educational urban migration
* The delivery of learner and teacher support materials has also been a highlight for the past year as it showed unprecedented improvement
* Challenges in the delivery of school furniture have been largely unblocked with resumption in delivery and the further education and training (FET) colleges’ refurbishment initiative has been a great success.
Qwase cited these improvements as the fertile ground created for the new administration to fast track education service delivery provincially. The principles that underpin this strategy for service delivery improvement plan, emphasises redressing the imbalances of the past which were characterised by skewed resourcing of schools in each district.
Additionally, according to Qwase the budget allocation focused more on the districts to ensure that they assist in smoothening the grounds for curriculum delivery.
“A budget of R17,594,283 has been allocated by the department to the districts for professional development of 15,628 FET educators. Coupling the allocation, the foundation phase, literacy and numeracy have been identified as areas of need and will be vigorously addressed during this year”, said Qwase.
To ensure compliance with the constitutional obligations to provide education for all learners provincially, the Department of Education is monitoring the developed programs and projects that seek to facilitate access to schooling. These include provisioning of scholar transport, school nutrition program, no-fee payments, facilities and infrastructure provisioning.
“The challenge which remains is to manage the available resources more effectively and efficiently, and to work towards a more acceptable ratio between personnel and non-personnel expenditure. Again we shall work closely with Provincial Treasury in dealing with inefficiencies in the system that lead to duplication of services and wastage”, said Qwase
Issued by: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
28 July 2009
Source: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoe.gov.za/index.asp)
