The Council of Education Ministers met on 17 and 18 November 2011 and discussed a wide range of educational matters. Council resolved as follows:
Integrated National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy
Council approved that the Integrated National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy should be implemented in 2012. The strategy is the Department’s response to the need for urgency in addressing the low achievement levels of learners in literacy and numeracy.
The low performance levels of our learners were confirmed through the Annual National Assessment (ANA), as well as the regional and international benchmark assessments.
Council emphasised that the strategy to address the poor performance levels of learners in literacy and numeracy, must be a national one that integrates all the provincial initiatives in this area.
Council further agreed that planning with provincial education departments and key stakeholders should begin in earnest.
The strategy will target the classroom and teachers as key levers for change in learner performance and will be guided by our 2012 priority of consolidating our work around the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), ANAs and the workbooks. Provinces, districts and school communities must focus all their energies on improving reading, comprehension, writing and counting.
Annual National Assessments (ANA)
Council confirmed that the Annual National Assessments are core to our efforts to improve the quality of learner performance. A detailed plan was adopted to address the teething problems experienced during the 2011 ANA. All provinces committed to the further institutionalisation of the ANA in 2012.
Auditor General’s Report on Infrastructure
The Auditor General (AG) recently released a report on educational infrastructure and highlighted amongst others the following:
- Education departments deviating from supply chain management procedures;
- Human resource capacity constraints; and
- Poor planning of infrastructural projects.
Council considered the report and agreed to convene a ten-a-side (national Minister plus 9 provincial MECs) with the Department of Public Works, who in the main is responsible for education infrastructure, to address the matters raised by the Auditor General. However, Council committed to improve efficiency and planning in the education sector as a matter of urgency.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has established a Project Support Unit (PSU) within the national department to monitor the implementation of infrastructure and service provision by the various Professional Service Providers and Implementing Agents that the DBE and provinces are utilising for their infrastructure programme. This Unit has appropriate skills and experience in the built environment and is expected to make an important contribution to the efficiency of infrastructure units in the provinces.
Appointment of Principals and the Role of School Governing Bodies (SGBs)
The appointment procedure for school-based educators is the same regardless of the post level at which the educator is appointed. Any appointment to an educator post at the public school may only be made on the recommendation of the SGB. This poses some challenges when dealing with the appointment of principals and had often given rise to protracted legal battles between SGBs and provincial heads of education departments. Council is currently considering the following:
- Whether the current education legislation should be amended to enable heads of education departments to appoint school principals in certain categories of schools and for SGBs to be allowed to appoint principals after approval by the head of education against a set of criteria qualifying them to do so; and
- Whether prospective principals should undergo competency tests prior to appointment.
All principals will be expected to enter into performance agreements with their provincial heads of department from 2012. This is to strengthen accountability of principals in the system and to ensure that suitable candidates with the appropriate competencies and skill sets are appointed to lead our schools.
Grade 12 National Senior Certificate Examinations
Council noted the excellent progress of this year’s National Senior Certificate Exams. The official announcement of the examination results will be made on 4 January 2012 at 18h00. The results will be available at schools and examination centres on 5 January 2011 and will also be published in the media on that day.
Other matters
Council also approved:
- The 2013 School Calendar;
- The 2012 National Senior Certificate Supplementary, 2012 National Senior Certificate and the 2012 Senior Certificate Examinations Timetables;
- Guidelines for School Infrastructure Planning; and
- Guidelines for the Provision of Boarding Facilities in Public Ordinary Schools.
Enquiries:
Hope Mokgatlhe
Cell: 071 680 6849
