2011 has been the most eventful and productive year for the department. We started this year on a high note, having improved drastically in our matric results from 61% in 2009 to 70% in 2010. We had every reason to be happy, but our happiness was soon replaced by the realization that our good performance means more is expected of us, and so we needed to hit the ground running.
In order to ensure that we improve our grade 12 performance, we started by establishing what we called Provincial Intervention Teams, whose sole purpose was to assist especially those school that did not do well in 2010. Since then, our Provincial Intervention Teams have travelled the length and breadth of our province ensuring that our learners and educators are propelled to perform. We hope to reap positive rewards for our efforts in this regard.
The new organogram of the department has been approved by the Department for Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and has been tabled to the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) and PSSBC. As a department, we have begun with the process of implementing this new organogram. This has started with the appointment of the top management where Ms Judy Dlamini is the SGM for the new branch called Institutional Development Support; Mr Edward Mosuwe is the SGM: Curriculum Management and Delivery, Dr Mbokazi is the SGM of the new Branch Corporate Management Services and Ms Hlengiwe Mncuma remains in the Finance branch. We have also convened inaugural branch meetings where Branch Heads had to give a programme of action for 2012.
We have also appointed a task team to assist the HOD and Top Management in the final implementation of the placement model and all placement committees have been appointed. Officials have been issued with forms where they have to indicate their choices for deployment. We expect this exercise to be finalised before the end of this financial year. To this end, i would like to thank all officials for having positively participated in both the development process and implementation of our new organogram.
The establishment of the new branches was not a change for its sake – through it we want to cultivate a new work ethic and our emphasis is on performance. Our aim is to see our system performing at its optimal level. We have already started with austerity measures because as a department we want to run our finances in a very judicious way. We also want to see a turnaround in the manner we run our human resources. When it comes to human resources and the way we treat our employees, it cannot be business as usual.
As a Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal, a classroom remains a centre-piece of all our activities. The new branch curriculum management delivery is aimed at ensuring that we deliver quality content to our learners. What happens inside the classroom is very significant to us.
2012 is going to be about professionalising the profession of teaching and providing visible support for schools and the classroom. We recognise the good work done by our teachers in ensuring that we give accessible and quality education to all our people. We are committed therefore to ensure that we support our educators in their noble responsibility of educating our children.
I need to impress upon our officials that growth of our people, survival of individuals and communities is our broader objective as a department. This means we cannot afford to be callous about our work. Ours is to provide a kind of education that liberate our people from poverty, illiteracy and all the difficulties that our people find themselves in.
We are a country that experienced difficult period of apartheid and racial discrimination. When we got into the position of governing, we were so eager to achieve that we leaped and jumped into the ideal, and in the process we jumped natural patterns of growth and development. As a result of this, there are some gaps in the system and the system has found it difficult to take off in a manner that we envisaged. Now we need a fresh start, where we are going to deal decisively with the challenges we face in numeracy and literacy. We don’t need to be confounded by ANA results as it was the case this year.
My Life My Future, which is our spirited campaign targeting social ills, has gained momentum. We have started the process of engaging communities and all our social partners in waging war against all social ills. We are confident as a department that we are going to succeed in winning this war.
As this year draw to a close, I wish to thank all the officials - both school and office based, for their hard work and dedication. I would also like to thank all the stakeholders for their commitment to the cause of providing quality education to our people.
As a Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal, we are dedicated to service and performance beyond the call of duty and this is our unshakable resolve.
Have a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.
