Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to proceed with second phase of
recovery plan
26 July 2007
The WCED has been involved in a process of consultation with various teacher
unions on the second phase of the WCED's recovery plan and will now proceed
with implementation from next week.
We acknowledge from the outset that we cannot hope to make up for all the
time lost during the recent public service strike. However, our plan is
intended to focus on crucial aspects of the curriculum that have been affected
by the strike.
It must also be acknowledged that not all schools were equally affected by
the strike. The second phase of the recovery plan, therefore, is applicable
only to those 460 primary and high schools where no teaching and learning was
possible for a continuous period of 10 days or more during the strike.
Phase two of the recovery plan will cover the period 30 July to 21 September
2007 and will include additional teaching hours for all grades, as well as
Saturday classes and a Spring School for grade 12 learners.
The affected schools will receive guidelines on the content of the
additional classes for grades 10, 11 and 12. Urban schools will be clustered
and rural schools should be site based.
The WCED study guides sent to grades 10, 11 and 12 learners contain
excellent material which could be used to prepare learners for studying and
they contain checklists in a number of subjects that should be used to
determine what content still needs to be covered.
The second phase of the recovery plan is voluntary for both learners and
teachers, in line with agreements between the Department of Education and
unions at a national level.
The national formula in respect of stipends will be applied for all these
interventions, including Saturday classes. We have also agreed to provide our
teachers who participate in the Saturday and spring programmes with a transport
allowance and also to pay the stipend to caretakers who will have to be present
during these programmes.
The unions on the task team have requested additional information concerning
the stipend, which we have now provided. I am hoping that all teacher unions
will support the second phase of the recovery plan, which will begin from next
week.
We cannot afford to delay the implementation of the second phase of the
recovery plan anymore. As a Department we have a responsibility particularly to
those learners from the schools most affected by the industrial action.
We remain open to further engagements with the unions and I hope that they
will work with us in the interest of our learners.
For enquiries contact:
Gert Witbooi
Cell: 082 550 3938
E-mail: gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Education, Western Cape Provincial Government
26 July 2007
