18 February 2009
All the stakeholders of the national Department of Education are involved
with each having a specific responsibility in the Quality Learning and Teaching
Campaign, Portfolio Committee on education was told by the department on
Tuesday.
Briefing the Portfolio Committee, Deputy Director-General: General Education
and Training, Ms Palisa Tyobeka, said the department has committed itself to
support teachers to hold its officials accountable and to ensure that the
necessary resources are provided on time and vacancies speedily filled. All
teacher unions have committed their members to be on time, in class, prepared
and teaching.
According to Ms Tyobeka, the focus of the campaign is on all schools,
anchored on the provision of clear directives and expectations for quality
education at primary school level. âThe campaign is designed to focus attention
on key activities that lead to high literacy and numeracy development.â
She lamented the fact that despite grade R being a critical entry point in
the South African education system, it is always taken as a stepchild with more
attention focused on grade 12. She said the consequence is that grade R is
characterised by very poor learning environment, poorly trained teachers and
inappropriate furniture and learning resources.
Teacher unions that were at the committee meeting - National Professions
Teachers Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA), National Teachersâ Union
(NTU), South African Democratic Teachersâ Union (SADTU) and Professional Union
of Educators (PUE) - were afforded an opportunity to share views of their
unions about the campaign with the committee. All the unions assured the
committee about their commitment to the campaign and appealed for support.
Committee chairperson, Professor Shepherd Mayathula said he hoped that the
campaign is going to achieve the desired results.
Issued by: South African Parliament
18 February 2009
Source: South African Parliament (http://www.parliament.gov.za)
