Reply by Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, on questions posed in the National Assembly for written reply

Question 233

Mr M J R de Villiers (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

(1) Whether any schools were found to be dysfunctional in 2009; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) how many in each province, (b) which schools and (c) what were the reasons for this in each case;

(2) whether the district managers informed her department in this regard; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether any action has been taken against district managers who failed to inform her department; if not, why not; if so, (a) what action, (b) against whom was the action taken and (c) what steps were taken to address the problems in each case?

Response:

(1) The Department of Basic Education assessed the performance of schools in the 2009 National Senior Certificate Examinations. The findings indicated that there were 506 schools that achieved between 0-20% in the NSC. Of these 19 schools achieved 0%. In response to this investigation the DBE developed the Rapid Assessment and Remediation Initiative to decisively respond to schools that have dramatically underperformed. This was with a view to diagnosing the challenges that have contributed to the underperformance in schools and introduce short term interventions that address these problems. The assessment indicates that these schools are dysfunctional and require major interventions in terms of infrastructure, management, human resource development and teacher development.

(a)The following table shows the number of schools in each province.

(b) 

(b) The list of schools per province is attached at Annexure A.

(c) The provincial reports have identified the following factors to have contributed to the reported underperformance of the schools.

1.1 The lack of leadership by principals at schools demonstrated by the lack of management competences and the lack of supervision of the work of teachers and learners.
1.2 School management teams which do not understand their roles and responsibilities and are unable to monitor curriculum delivery in schools.
1.3 Vacant and unfilled teacher posts which hamper curriculum delivery in schools.
1.4 The prevalence of teacher absenteeism, limited teaching and contact time and late coming, all of which compromise curriculum delivery.
1.5 Learners’ problems associated with absenteeism and truancy, drug and alcohol abuse, ill discipline, and teenage pregnancy and in places habitual late coming of learners to school.
1.6 Curriculum planning at the level of the school which results in inappropriate subject offerings and combinations, as well as ineffective time tabling.
1.7 Teachers subject knowledge gaps have also contributed to the underperformance.
1.8 Lack and/or shortage of textbooks and relevant learning and teaching support materials.
1.9 Lack of support to schools from the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and parents

Although not mentioned by provinces, the Department of Basic Education has also noted that there are instances where district support of schools is inadequate. Schools have been left to implement school improvement plans yet they do not have the necessary capacity to do so.

Source: Department of Basic Education