Honourable Premier, Dr Zweli Mkhize
My colleagues, Members of the Executive Council
Members of parliament and the provincial legislature
Members of the diplomatic corps
Heads of department
Sponsors
Leaders of trade unions
Officials of the Department of Education
Teachers and parents
Learners
When I was appointed as the MEC for Education in May last year, I was humbled by the confidence that the premier had in entrusting me with a portfolio that is supposed to deliver on one of the five priorities contained in the electoral mandate given to the African National Congress-led government by the people of South Africa on 22 April 2009. I understood exactly the responsibility that was given to me on behalf of the people of KwaZulu-Natal. Trust me; every parent wants their children to succeed.
We also understood that there was no time to waste, that we needed to hit the ground running. One of the first steps we took was to meet with all stakeholders to look at what needed to be done to improve the quality of education in the province. We met with the managers at different levels, with teacher unions and with grade 12 teachers throughout the province.
We have, since our appointment, been emphasising that quality education takes place in the classroom. This is why in all the engagements we have had with our social partners; we have reiterated the call made by President Jacob Zuma on statement of 8 January 2008 that said: “Teachers should be on time, in class, and teaching and learners should be on time, in class, learning and respecting their teachers”. This is because quality education can only take place if there is an educator and a learner in a classroom, one teaching and the other learning.
During our engagement with grade 12 teachers, we indicated that as much as we shared with the educators what the department expected of them, we fully understood the challenges and the frustrations they faced in schools. However, together we resolved that no challenge was insurmountable, including infrastructure challenges that teaching and learning would need to be intensified this year.
In line with our quest to improve the skills base of our province, we have consistently provided greater access to the national senior certificate than any other province. It is our mission to open the doors of learning to as many of our people as possible. We would like to draw the attention of the media beyond percentages and to the fact that our focus as a department is mainly on the number of learners who access and succeed in grade 12, which is an important milestone in every learner’s life.
The national senior certificate is based on the national curriculum statement grades 10 to 12, which was introduced in grade 12 in 2008. This is the second year in which the national senior certificate is being awarded to learners who passed their grade 12 examinations.
1. Interventions
As is customary, the department started the year knowing that something had to be done if we were to raise the bar for our grade 12. In 2009 the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education adopted a matric intervention twelve point plan to assist under performing schools to improve grade 12 results. This programme was presented to all departmental officials and representatives of teacher organisations on 27 January 2009 at eThekwini Further Education and Training (FET) College (Springfield campus).
The plan covered the provision of learning and teaching support material, effective curriculum implementation and school governance and management. The plan also accommodated the critical role of all stakeholders with an interest in education (teacher unions, parents and community structures.) The twelve-point plan was an integrated, holistic and inclusive strategy, which involved all components of the Department of Education in intervention programmes.
We acknowledge the role played by teachers’ unions, and believe that they can do even more in ensuring that teachers indeed teach. All else available, nothing can substitute the teacher in the classroom. The area of focus of the twelve-point plan included:
* critical resources required to facilitate and support teaching and learning in schools
* teaching and learning monitoring and support
* institutional turnaround strategies
* strengthening of curriculum leadership and management in schools
* capacity building for educators, ward managers and subject advisors
* effective learning monitoring and support through assessment feedback to learners, educators and subject advisors
* staffing solutions in curriculum implementation and curriculum support and
* teacher and learner attendance monitoring.
The intervention programme once again required under performing schools to accept responsibility by developing and implementing turnaround strategies which were monitored by superintendents of education (management). The department also intervened through other initiatives under the national strategy for learner attainment. Among these initiatives were regular visits to underperforming school by districts, provincial and national officials. These were crucial for purposes of supporting schools and monitoring functionality and the success of our interventions.
Schools that scored below 60 percent in 2008 national senior certificate examination wrote common tests in March and June. They also wrote the preparatory examinations in September. Other schools used their own tests, but obtained copies of common tests for revision. Results of common tests were analysed and feedback was given to schools, ward managers, circuit managers, district managers and provincial staff for support and interventions.
The following targets were met as per the intervention plan: Learning and assessment guidelines in maths, mathematical literacy, life sciences, agricultural sciences, business studies, physical sciences, economics, geography, history, tourism, accounting and English first additional language were supplied to educators during the February and March teacher orientation workshops. In addition to these subject guidelines, 240 digital versatile discs (DVDs) in agriculture were distributed to districts in May where each district received 10 DVDs on animal production and artificial insemination.
800 examination bank compact discs (CDs) were procured for schools to assist teachers on assessment in mathematics, mathematical literacy, life sciences, physical sciences, economics, geography, history, tourism, accounting, English first additional language and business studies. Each CD in each subject contained models of questions with corresponding expected answers.
Schools without capacity to use CDs were supplied with hard copies of model questions and answers. The first lot of StudyMates were delivered by the department in May 2009. These StudyMates gave learners an idea of the format of the examination question papers in each subject. The second set of StudyMates was delivered by the department in July 2009 and the third set was delivered in the first week of October 2009.
The department, in partnership with the independent newspapers, also distributed the matric matters supplement to schools. We are also pleased to announce that all districts conducted winter classes for some schools during the winter school vacation. We wish to acknowledge the contribution of teachers’ unions in the winter school endeavour, particularly in Obonjeni and Sisonke. What we have been doing in the areas we have reflected on is part of a comprehensive strategy to improve the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. It is only through significantly improved quality in teaching and learning that we can see improved performance in assessments such as the senior certificate examination.
The evidence suggests that the cumulative effect of our interventions has been very positive. Our interventions are indeed working. This year, we will focus mainly on the functionality of schools, and on vigorous teaching and learning in our schools. With such emphasis, we have no doubt that great strides will be made in improving the quality of outcomes for most of our learners.
2. Bursaries
Since 2005, we have been offering bursaries in gateway subjects to needy and deserving students wishing to pursue their studies in higher education institutions. In 2009 the office of the MEC offered 120 bursaries to go to university. 18 were not able to register with tertiary institutions and 36 withdrew to take the Fundza Lushaka national bursary. 43 students completed their studies in 2009 and are to be placed in schools as mathematics, technology, science and accounting educators. 142 are expected to continue with their studies in 2010. In 2010 we intend awarding 75 new bursaries to successful learners who wish to study to become teachers.
We are happy to announce that 60 new students will receive bursaries from the South African Institute of Charted Accountants (SAICA) to study Bachelor of Commerce: Accounting towards a chartered accountant qualification. 210 KwaZulu-Natal students are already at tertiary institutions benefiting from this programme.
The first group of students to be awarded the Thuthuka or SAICA bursary have completed their Certificate in Theory of Accounting (CTA) at various universities. This year they will be writing part one of the board examinations so as to qualify as charted accountants. Eskom will offer three bursaries to deserving top achievers in KwaZulu-Natal over and above what they have already allocated for study at tertiary institutions. Also, NPC CIMPOR will award five scholarships to students to enrol in mining and engineering related studies.
In 2009, through our memorandum of understanding that we have with the city of Shanghai in the People’s Republic of China, we afforded a bursary to a young man, Xolani Khumalo, who comes from Newcastle. Xolani had been accepted at Medunsa to study medicine, but since he comes from a poor family he did not afford to buy textbooks and all that was needed by the university and as a result he went back home to Newcastle. As we speak, Xolani is in Shanghai and will be there for five years studying actuarial sciences.
3. Sponsorships
We now wish to take this opportunity to thank the following organisations and companies for providing sponsorships to enable us to recognise our class of 2009 top achievers:
Laptops
Albaraka Bank: two
Lebone Group Holdings: 16
EduSolutions: 17
Mustek: four
NPC CIMPOR: two
Mercer: four
Dimension Data: one
Data Centric: one
Capitol Caterers: one
Vouchers
Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA): five, each worth of R5 000
Toyota: 12, each worth of R500
ESKOM: 10, each worth of R500
Igoda: four, each worth of R500
Maskew Miller Longman: R20 000
Albaraka Bank: 13, each worth of R500
MIET Africa: 10, each worth of R500
Abadeli Media Solutions: 30, each worth of R500
Lebone Group Holdings: 120, each worth of R250
ABASA: two, each worth of R500
SAICA: two, each worth of R500
Dimension Data: two, each worth of R500
Capitol Caterers: one, worth of R500
Cash deposits
Investec Bank: R10 000
Nazna: R7 500
RWL Furnishers: R1 000
Vulindlela Security: R4 000
Other
Lexmark: five printers
State Information Technology Agency (SITA): 10 printers
SANGARI South Africa: 20 Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education: 26 bags with jackets and golf shirts
4. The 2009 national senior certificate results
Ladies and gentlemen, we now wish to turn my attention to the class of 2009. In order for us to place this year’s results in a proper context, we wish to provide you with some useful statistics.
Candidates writing the national senior certificate exams
2003
Full-time candidates 97 363
2004
Full-time candidates: 110 631
2005
Full-time candidates: 120 397
2006
Full-time candidates: 125 777
2007
Full-time candidates: 148 093
2008
Full-time candidates: 142 756
2009
Full-time candidates: 132 176
We have consistently said that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education in not only the largest Department of Education in the country, but also accounts for the largest number of candidates sitting for the national senior certificate in South Africa. The department has consistently been improving access to public education, including access to write national senior certificate examination.
This has resulted in consistently large numbers of candidates sitting for the national senior certificate examination in KwaZulu-Natal from 97 363 in 2003, through 110 631 in 2004, 120 397 in 2005, 125 777 in 2006, 148 093 in 2007, 142 756 in 2008, to 132 176 in 2009.
We wish to reiterate what we said earlier. To us, this is what counts. It is the number of students who are given access to and who succeed in the national senior certificate that we worry about. Naturally, we would always want a higher percentage of these candidates to succeed. Given that context, we now wish to officially announce the results of the 2009 national senior certificate examination for KwaZulu-Natal.
2009 national senior certificate exam results for KwaZulu-Natal
Number of candidates who wrote: 132 176
Number of candidates who passed: 80 733
Number of candidates who qualify for admission to bachelor’s degrees: 26 287
Percentage pass rate: 61.1 percent
Percentage who qualify for admission to bachelor’s degrees: 19.9 percent
Of the 132 176 candidates who sat for the national senior certificate examination, 80 733 passed, representing 61.1 percent of those who wrote, up 3.3 percent when compared to the 2008 pass percentage. It is pleasing that KwaZulu-Natal is one of the two provinces that registered improvement in the 2009 results when compared to 2008.
It is significant that KwaZulu-Natal still has the largest number of candidates who pass the national senior certificate in the whole country. The province with the second largest number of passes has about 9 800 fewer candidates that passed the national senior certificate than KwaZulu-Natal. We view this as a major contribution to closing the skills and knowledge gap in our country.
The figures also show that 26 287 candidates who sat for the examination obtained passes which enable them to qualify for admission to bachelor’s degrees, representing 19.9 percent of the total number who sat for the examination, up 1.5 percent from the 18.4 percent of 2008. The universities would have to find 108 more spaces than in the previous year to accommodate these KwaZulu-Natal students who qualify for admission to bachelor’s degree studies. This is a major achievement, which we all applaud.
Further, 31 406 qualify for admission to university diploma studies and an additional 22 719 qualify for admission to higher certificate studies in higher education. This translates to 80 412 learners qualifying for admission to different qualification programmes in higher education, to pursue degree, diploma or higher certificate studies. The performance figures for the 12 education districts are as follows:
National senior certificate exam results by district
* Amajuba
2008 pass percentage rate: 60.6
Number of candidates who wrote: 6 268
Number of candidates who passed: 4 045
2009 pass percentage rate: 64.5
* Empangeni
2008 pass percentage rate: 48.5
Number of candidates who wrote: 13 541
Number of candidates who passed: 7 164
2009 pass percentage rate: 52.9
* Ilembe
2008 pass percentage rate: 51.3
Number of candidates who wrote: 7 732
Number of candidates who passed: 4 301
2009 pass percentage rate: 55.6
* Obonjeni
2008 pass percentage rate: 39.3
Number of candidates who wrote: 10 331
Number of candidates who passed: 5 044
2009 pass percentage rate: 48.8
* UThukela
2008 pass percentage rate: 58.8
Number of candidates who wrote: 8 617
Number of candidates who passed: 5 570
2009 pass percentage rate: 64.6
* Pinetown
2008 pass percentage rate: 63.5
Number of candidates who wrote: 17 219
Number of candidates who passed: 11 153
2009 pass percentage rate: 64.8
* Sisonke
2008 pass percentage rate: 44.7
Number of candidates who wrote: 6 090
Number of candidates who passed: 2 786
2009 pass percentage rate: 45.8
* Ugu
2008 pass percentage rate: 57.4
Number of candidates who wrote: 10 030
Number of candidates who passed: 6 021
2009 pass percentage rate: 60
* Umgungundlovu
2008 pass percentage rate: 64
Number of candidates who wrote: 11 952
Number of candidates who passed: 7 970
2009 pass percentage rate: 66.7
* Umlazi
2008 pass percentage rate: 74.8
Number of candidates who wrote: 20 557
Number of candidates who passed: 14 840
2009 pass percentage rate: 72.1
* Umzinyathi
2008 pass percentage rate: 48.9
Number of candidates who wrote: 6 913
Number of candidates who passed: 3 866
2009 pass percentage rate: 55.9
* Vryheid
2008 pass percentage rate: 56.4
Number of candidates who wrote: 12 906
Number of candidates who passed: 7 973
2009 pass percentage rate: 61.8
It is indeed heartening to note the improvement in all but one district. Even then the district that showed a slight decline in performance came from a high base, and still remains the best performing district in the province. We are particularly pleased to see improvements in the rural districts when compared to last year. Indeed, our interventions are bearing fruit.
Conclusion
We now wish to take this opportunity to congratulate all those who contributed to the success of the 80 733 national senior certificate learners from ordinary and special schools who passed in 2009. We also wish to congratulate the adult learners who achieved success in their Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) certificate programmes this year.
We thank and congratulate the learners for their efforts and hard work, the teachers for their guidance and daily interventions, and the parents for their continued support. There are many social partners who have worked closely with us and we want to thank the teacher unions, South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Intelligence Agency, the business community, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith based organisations, foreign governments and other partners for their support.
Finally, we wish to thank the premier and my colleagues in the executive council for their support and their keen interest in education. This can only strengthen us as a sector and keep us focused on what matters most in education, namely our children, the youth and adult learners. We wish all of you happy and prosperous 2010 as we draw ever closer to hosting the most successful 2010 FIFA World Cup ever.
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
7 January 2010
Source: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
(http://www.kzneducation.gov.za/)
