Madam Speaker
Honourable Premier
Deputy Speaker
Honourable Members of the Executive Council
Honourable Members of the Legislature
Honoured guests.
The annual report that is tabled in this house today shows very clearly that during the 2012/13 financial year we have made further advances towards our goal of creating an equitable and quality education system that will contribute to a better life for all our people and building a better Gauteng.
I am happy to announce that the department has received a financially unqualified audit report with a few findings on compliance for the fourth consecutive year and also received a clean audit report in the audit of performance information, with no findings for the fifth consecutive year. I may add that this is the fourth consecutive year that the department achieved this outcome in both elements of the audit.
This achievement is against an even more impressive performance in improving service delivery to ensure that quality learning and teaching take place in the classroom daily. The province has in the last five years achieved universal levels of female participants in schools and this is amongst the highest levels in the world. In 2012, the department delivered education services to 2 807 institutions with a total of 2 302 508 learners. Of these, 2 080 466 learners were in public institutions and 222 042 were in independent institutions (including special schools). The learner enrolment increased by 2.6% in 2012 as compared to 2011.
Goal 1: Ensuring Gauteng has effective schools and learning institutions
Gauteng Primary Language and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS)
The department implemented the Gauteng Primary Literacy and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS) as a response to the low levels of reading, writing and numeracy in the province. The GPLMS implementation, focused on primary schools that scored at unacceptably low levels in provincial and national assessments. It aimed to improve the teaching of Language and Mathematics in 832 selected primary schools in the province.
A “Just-In-Time” training approach, which focused on improving the teachers’ ability to deliver the curriculum content, was adopted and all targeted teachers in the underperforming primary schools received the training. To further support teachers, the department appointed a total of 256 coaches for Mathematics and Languages in the Foundation Phase and 212 coaches for these subjects in the Intermediate Phase, to offer technical support and to act as a critical ‘friend’, as the teacher implemented the curriculum.
All 6 500 project teachers were provided with lessons plans in Languages and Mathematics for every term. The Language Lesson Plans for the Foundation and Intermediate phases were developed, quality assured and printed for implementation in the next quarter of the academic year. All underperforming primary schools received mental Mathematics kits and games and these kits were mediated with all targeted teachers.
Secondary School Improvement Programme (SSIP)
The department is implementing the Secondary School Improvement programme (SSIP) that focuses on providing additional support and materials to learners in secondary schools. Learners, through the SSIP programme, attended extra classes on weekends and during school holidays. In 2012, the department intensified its support for Grade 12 learners and expanded the SSIP to support a total of 439 priority secondary schools. The SSIP classes reached a total of 63 290 Grade 12 learners through 127 SSIP sites established across the province.
The department expanded the SSIP programme to also focus on Grade
8 and 9 learners and a total of 133 571 Grade 8 and 9 learners had access to career guidance and counselling through lay counsellors.
Improvements in Learner Performance in Grade 12
In 2012, Grade 12 learners achieved an 83.9% matric pass rate. This is the highest percentage pass achieved by the province since 1994 and also saw the province become the top-performing province in the country. Even more rewarding has been the 12% improvement in Soweto schools. This improvement can be directly attributed to the implementation of identified actions by stakeholders in the period following the the Soweto Summit and the Learner Summit, held in April 2011 and July 2012.
Annual National Assessment Results
While the performance of learners in other grades is still below the 2014 targets, there have been notable improvements in the ANA performance. The department implemented the Annual National Assessments in 2012. In terms of the results for Grade 3, learners achieved a 55% pass in language, exceeding the annual target of 43%. In Mathematics, learners achieved a percentage pass of 47%, exceeding the annual target of 38%.
In terms of the results for Grade 6, learners achieved a 49% pass for home language and a 43% pass for first additional language. This exceeds the annual target of 43%. With regard to Mathematics, learners achieved a pass of 31%. This exceeds the national average of 27%. In 2012, the ANA was fully implemented in Grade 9. In terms of results, learners achieved a pass rate of 50% for Home Language and 40% for First Additional Language. This exceeded the annual target of 42%. Learners also achieved a pass rate of 15% in Mathematics and the national average of 13% was exceeded.
Goal 2: GDE Head Office and Districts - providing relevant, coordinated and effective support
Poverty alleviation
To achieve effective schools with effective teaching and learning, the department implemented a number of poverty alleviating measures.
- There was an increase in the number of learners in no-fee schools, from 1 018 267 to 1 051 362 and 1 256 schools were declared as no-fee schools. This exceeds the national target of 60% of schools in the province being declared no-fee schools.
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The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) provided nutrition to a total of 1 051 362 learners and successfully extended the NSNP to all 1 256 no-fee schools in the province.
Through the scholar transport services, 65 472 learners were safely transported to schools and enjoyed a full day of learning in 2012.
School Safety
In order to provide a safe and secure environment for learners to perform optimally, the department implemented the Extra School Support Programme (ESSP), which seeks, in part, to increase the safety in schools, and appointed 6 041 patrollers as security personnel at 1 300 schools. In implementing the School Safety Strategy a total of 1 408 schools have been linked to Police Stations across the province.
Capex
In terms of the construction of new schools, 22 new schools were completed and handed over to communities. A total of 50 school fencing projects and 77 school rehabilitation projects were completed. A further 271 schools are on the preventative maintenance programme. The 2012/13 annual targets set by the Department with regard to infrastructure delivery in the province, were achieved.
Goal 3: Enabling young people to make the transition from school to further education, and/or work that provides further training opportunities
Career Counselling
The department facilitated the implementation of career guidance programmes, to enable young people to make the transition from school to further education and/or work that provides further training opportunities. A total of 900 lay counsellors were recruited, trained and deployed to schools and 133 571 Grade 8 and 9 learners had access to career guidance and counselling through lay counsellors. A total of 120 000 Grade 9 learners benefited from career exhibitions that were held across all districts in the province and 9 965 Grade 9 learners were assessed.
Bursaries
To support the transition of learners from higher education to gainful employment, the department awarded a total of 2 513 bursaries to learners at no fee schools. In addition, 1 500 FET learners were awarded bursaries and a further 457 bursaries were awarded for tool and die moulding.
Learnerships and Internships
A total of 4 808 learners were in formal learnership programmes and 3 178 graduates and learners were placed in internships. Also, 8133 learners benefitted from workplace experience.
Goal 4: Strengthening partnerships with all stakeholders, resulting in education becoming a societal priority
SGB Elections and Training
The 2012 Gauteng Provincial School Governing Body (SGB) elections were completed and a total of 2 154 SGBs were elected in public schools across the province. To enable School Governing Bodies to have access to information and knowledge about their roles, the department initiated an intensive twelve-month programme of training, support and coaching to schools. Intensive training was provided to 763 primary and 438 secondary under-performing schools. The remaining schools that are deemed to be functional were provided with materials and half-day workshop sessions. Various types of support including site-based support followed the training.
Parental Support
In terms of the Family Support Programme, a total of 81 806 parents in the province were trained.
Conclusion
During this 2013/14 financial year, I am looking forward to intensifying the delivery of plans and hope to achieve greater results with regard to ensuring that quality learning and teaching takes place in every classroom every day.
In conclusion, Speaker, I need to reiterate that we are convinced that the interventions to improve the quality of learning, as led by this government, is moving in the right direction. What we need to improve is intensifying our programmes and to ensure that there is commitment by all in the programmes that are being implemented. We need more effort of focused, comprehensive, deep, and sustained interventions in order to see tangible improvements.
Thank you.
