ISASA Chairperson Melvin King
ISASA Chief Executive, Dr Jane Hofmeyer
Esteemed delegates,
I thank you warmly for bestowing on me the privilege once more to open a conference of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa. This time it’s the 2013 ISASA Conference.
The climate is quite positive and comparatively different from the environment when I was honoured by your good selves to open the 2010 ISASA AGM, also in Sandton. We were recovering from the negative impact of a national strike that encompassed our teachers. Globally, all were rattled by the biting financial turmoil beginning 2009.
Conversely, the current mood in the educational landscape is characterized by key developments and sizeable achievements in the public and independent school sectors. In their nature the challenges we face are not insurmountable.
Key developments and achievements
If we deploy recent results in national exams as a yardstick, it is quite clear that as a system we are on an upward path. We have weathered the storm and turned the titanic around, irreversibly.
The recent Cabinet Lekgotla was satisfied with the extent to which we have stabilised the National Senior Certificate exams and progressively improved pass rates up to 73.9% in 2012.
Exam results show ISASA member schools have done extremely well including in the critical subjects of maths and science.
South Africa has improved in the results of both the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).
For sustained improvement, a national remedial reading programme was developed and provincial literacy and numeracy strategies were audited.
The National Department has released a National Reading Programme for Grades R to 12 further to strengthen reading and literacy outcomes at classroom and school level.
The public education system is making serious inroads to improve provision and utilisation of Learner Teacher Support Material with coverage estimated at 80% in 2012 from 45% in 2007. We have provided 114 million workbooks to all learners in Grades R to 9. We will continue to promote utilisation of this valuable resource.
Curriculum development
When I addressed the ISASA AGM in 2010 we had just gazetted the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements.
I’m happy that the issues you have raised are receiving attention on the matter of Regulations Pertaining to the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12. As I have clarified to ISASA, it was never our intention to require, rigidly, independent schools and accredited independent assessment bodies to implement all the sections in the CAPS and other supporting policy documents.
Today I can report also that we have almost concluded that important process of sorting out glitches in the curriculum.
We will complete rolling-out the revised CAPS next year, 2014, when we implement in the Senior Phase and Grade 12.
I think this curriculum tweaking was worthwhile. Out of this process we’ve been able among other things to create more space and time for lesson planning and quality teaching. The challenge for teachers is to seize opportunities created and raise the quality of teaching for better learning outcomes.
But on the whole the type of feedback we’ve received from parents and many educators has been very positive.
To strengthen further the curriculum and sustain achievements we’re making in education, we’re ready for the incremental introduction of African languages.
You may recall that I alluded back in 2010 to the fact that it is indeed possible for children to be immersed in more than one language from a young age.
We’ve planned for this, consulted broadly and, as agreed with education MECs, we will start with a pilot in 2014 in Grade R and 1 involving 10 schools in each of our 86 education districts. We’re strengthening also the teaching of English as a First Additional Language.
On the whole matter of inclusive education, we’re improving curriculum delivery and training of staff on skills around South African Sign Language, provisioning of Braille and large print Learner Teacher Support Material.
Special schools have increased from 387 in 2002 to 442 schools in 2011. Learner numbers in special schools have also increased by more than 30 000 over this period. The total budget in 2012 for special schools under Programme 4 was R5 030 801 000. Nationally this would translate to R46 478 per learner.
It’s a serious concern though that there are still many special schools that do not offer a quality curriculum programme and run like care centres.
ISASA leadership and members, we thank you for supporting our work to improve the school curriculum and assessments.
Assessment
Our system is ready for the commencement of the 2013 Annual National Assessments, from next Tuesday.
In their refined form and universal application, Annual National Assessments are a milestone for education.
As a diagnostic tool, or a dipstick, these annual tests for Grades 1 to 6 & 9, on literacy and numeracy, are an important component of the arsenal of interventions we have amassed strategically to drive quality improvement in schools.
We have noted and are attending to legitimate concerns you’ve all raised around the Annual National Assessments. We are enhancing in particular their administration. With continuous improvement we can only get better and more quality-driven.
Care for learners
Also on our list of priorities has been care for learners. Attending to learner wellness does much to promote further the culture of quality teaching and learning. It reinforces our huge advances in broadening access and deepening equity in educational provision.
And thus guided by government’s pro-poor policies we’ve seen to it that over 8 million children, in more than 82% of public schools, receive free education in no-fee paying schools. Scholar transport is provided though with hiccups and road-safety hazards. Meals are served to 8 in every 10 learners in no-fee schools.
With no inference intended, school participation is nearly 100% in the compulsory band, 7-15 years, before the MDG 2015 target.
Independent schools have a role
Colleagues,
This I should reiterate. The independent school sector and ISASA in particular have a key role to play in education.
I therefore welcome sustained growth of ISASA. Your July 2013 statistics showed you had 707 member schools and over 160 000 learners. Of the total figure, there were 203 secondary schools, 312 primary schools and 192 pre-primary schools (ISASA Input).
Congratulations also for raising the number of corporate members to 75 welcoming in your fold UNISA, among others.
ISASA seems to be doing pretty well in the area of primary schools with member schools increasing from last year’s 294.
Our excellent relationships as reflected in our partnership to train intern teachers in maths, science and English in ISASA schools are very vital for meeting South Africa’s educational and development goals.
We see the collaborative interns training programme as a robust model likely to boost up country-wide supply of quality teachers in critical subjects.
The Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development 2011–2025, raises opportunities for the independent education sector to contribute by leveraging its excellent resources in the development of teachers.
This strategic planning framework emphasizes partnerships and the utilization of institutional capacity as well as dedicated practice schools to support teacher education and development.
We welcome the expansion of the Teacher Internship Programme in 2014 to include the Foundation Phase. Ample research shows why it’s so important to build a solid educational foundation through, among other things, a deliberate focus on teaching handwriting, reading, classroom management and time allocation.
I believe together we can do more to address common challenges by sharing resources and expertise.
Chairperson,
As I have said before, I am committed to seeing a flourishing independent schools sector as I am to seeing a quality education system. I trust that we will find and agree on solutions to current challenges around registration of schools, subsidies and your relations with provincial education departments.
It has always been in our best interest to sort out the alignment of registration and accreditation of independent schools both as schools and as examination centres.
Once again, I thank the ISASA leadership and members for embracing the National Education Collaboration Trust as a milestone in our quest to reform schooling in South Africa in line with the education imperatives of the National Development Plan.
I’m happy that Mr Sizwe Nxasana is here. He will address Conference and explain in detail this collaboration initiative.
This need urgently to strengthen our relationship with social partners is anchored in the National Development Plan. It calls upon all of us to collaborate to seek and find creative solutions to national challenges of our time.
The responsibility to improve education lies squarely with all of us.
Change agents in education include the independent schools sector, the national and provincial education authorities, parents and school governors, school management teams and educators, unions and associations, learners, companies, non-profits, traditional leaders, faith-based communities and broader society.
Rounding-off
Chairperson, this should be a fitting moment for me to wish Dr Jane Hofmeyr all the luck in her other endeavours. My heartfelt ‘thank you,’ Dr Hofmeyr, for your tremendous contribution to education and to the work of the independent schools sector.
Indeed we will miss her voice of reason in the public discourse in defence of the work we do and on the intricacies of running an education system. We remain indebted to you for your support.
I hope I will not be jumping the gun were I to congratulate the incoming CEO, from 1 January 2014, Lebogang Montjane.
I thank ISASA most heartily for working with us over time for the benefit of our education system, the country and its children. Working together we can do more. We value and will continue to nurture our constructive relationship.
I wish you success and look forward to robust debate on those pertinent issues you have chosen for conference.
Allow me then to take this opportunity once more to declare this conference officially opened.
I thank you.
