Sixth Report on the Provinces to the President from the Minister of Education
September 2002.

Working together to Build a South African Education
and Training System for the 21st Century


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Foreword 2

Introduction: Tirisano 4

Scope of the report 6


Tirisano

Section 1: HIV and AIDS 8

Section 2: School Effectiveness and Educator Professionalism 24

Section 3: Literacy 46

Section 4: Further Education 55

Section 5: Organisational Effectiveness of the National and
Provincial Departments 64

Section 6: Race and Values in Education 76


Conclusion 79

FOREWORD

President Thabo Mbeki
Union Buildings
Pretoria

Dear Mr President

The Sixth Report to the President concentrates on the delivery of services under the Tirisano programme in the provincial education departments and in the National Department of Education. As indicated in my second report, I launched the Tirisano plan on 13 January 2000. This was done to ensure that the spirit of Tirisano flowed through the education system, permeating all our structures to improve the work ethic and enable us to work towards our common vision of a South Africa in which all our people have access to lifelong education and training opportunities.

It is appropriate that we review the roll-out of our national mobilisation for education and training under Tirisano three years into the term of the second democratic government.

The initial nine priorities of Tirisano were organized into five, then six, programmes with strategic objectives, activities, outputs and time-frames, and the report focuses on achievements and failures in these programmes. The programmes deal with vital issues such as HIV/AIDS; school effectiveness and educator professionalism; literacy; further education; the organisational effectiveness of the national and provincial departments; and race and values in education.

Previous reports were based on uneven and often incomplete responses from provinces. An attempt has been made here to review provincial reports and to interview officials involved in the implementation of Tirisano programmes at national and provincial levels, before preparing a critical review. Given the time-frame in which the report had to be prepared, the response is impressionistic, but it is also candid and, I hope, fair.

While the report reveals weaknesses in the linking of Tirisano programmes within systems and in some areas a lack of commitment to operationalise it, in general the spirit of Tirisano remains strong and achievements are noted.

This report indicates a real and significant advance of our new system of education under the banner of Tirisano. For this I wish to thank the Members of the Executive Councils who have shared our vision and commitment. I also want to thank those dedicated officials who have championed Tirisano and managed projects despite capacity and resource shortfalls.



Professor Kader Asmal, MP
Minister of Education

INTRODUCTION: TIRISANO

Tirisano had an explosive start. The desire to transform and uplift education provision caught the imagination of many teachers and officials. The nine priority areas for special attention were articulated and were then organized into five programmes by the Department of Education for implementation. A sixth programme was added later.

Tirisano is a strategic intervention for improving service delivery in education. Provincial departments of education are supportive of all nine priorities of the programme, but have offered varying emphasis on the priorities depending on their own priorities and local demands. A number of provinces have had their MECs changed during this current term of government. It has been necessary in those cases to examine the priorities further at provincial level to obtain an understanding of the goals and to balance national and provincial priorities for new incumbents.

Tirisano is realistic. However, it cuts across line functions. The intention of the programme is to highlight those areas of service delivery that are likely to have the most impact on improving education. The programme requires integration across line functions in the work of the national and provincial departments. It is challenging in that it is similar in concept to the clusters at political level and seeks to operate across structural barriers.

The national department has concurrent competence in the field of education with the provinces. Concurrent powers require that provincial departments have to satisfy provincial priorities while at the same time recognizing and taking into account national priorities. Under these circumstances the potential exists for a disjuncture between Tirisano and other provincial mandates. If there are competing goals the extent of provincial priorities will effect the choices to be made, with the possibility of national priorities losing their central position and erratic delivery occurring.

It is noted that despite the challenges of working within the framework of concurrent powers, provincial departments have also displayed a growing understanding of cooperative governance in practice. It is this understanding that makes it possible to implement the Tirisano programme.

In most provinces the priorities of the Tirisano programme have been incorporated directly into their provincial strategic plans. Others have accommodated and integrated the priorities in different guises without losing the thrust of the programme. Some of the priorities, such as HIV/AIDS, require close collaboration with other departments. Approaches may therefore differ from province to province but follow the national implementation plan in a general way.

The report presents a cursory review of the implementation of the Tirisano programmes. While objectives have remained fixed over the period there have been adjustments to implementation plans. The responses of the provincial departments show differences in points of emphasis. There may be areas that appear not to have been explored adequately. The report has also not given all the projects in the Tirisano programme equal emphasis. Examples have been chosen on measurable delivery to give an indication of the progress achieved. A comprehensive review will still have to be undertaken within the ten-year review of service delivery.

SCOPE OF THE REPORT

The nine areas that I determined as priorities for Tirisano in my Call to Action in 1999 for the transformation of the education system are:

We must make our provincial systems work by making co-operative governance work;
We must break the back of illiteracy among adults and youths in five years;
Schools must become centres of community life;
We must end conditions of physical degradation in South African schools;
We must develop the professional quality of our teaching force;
We must ensure the success of active learning through outcomes-based education;
We must create a vibrant further education and training system to equip youth and adults to meet the social and economic needs of the 21^st century;
We must implement a rational, seamless higher education system that grasps the intellectual and professional challenges facing South Africans in the 21^st century;
We must deal urgently and purposefully with the HIV/AIDS emergency in and through the education and training system.

The Department of Education’s implementation plan organised the nine priorities into five [later six] core programmes, which were based on key objectives that were seen as necessary for the achieving of these priorities and on the performance indicators against which success can be ascertained.

Although most provincial reports on Tirisano programmes were submitted months’ later than the due date of April 2002 and are of uneven quality, they have been used as the starting point for this report. These reports were based on the six core programmes. This report will follow that format.

Each core programme is reviewed from the national and provincial perspectives. Attempts have been made to obtain additional information to supplement scanty provincial reports. Visits to certain provinces have added clarity, further comment and evaluation. Unfortunately, a very late report from KwaZulu-Natal was merely a collection of reports from some of their regions. As these had not been synthesised and were incomplete they could not be regarded as a provincial report. No report was received from Mpumalanga.

As far as possible the style and nature of provincial reports have been maintained in responses on specific programmes.

The order in which the programmes are reviewed is:

HIV/AIDS
School Effectiveness and Teacher Professionalism
Literacy
Further Education and Training [Higher Education is not a provincial competence and is not reviewed in this report]
Organisational Effectiveness of the National and Provincial Departments of Education
Race and Values in Education [a later addition].

PROGRAMME 1: HIV / AIDS

1.1 Introduction

The priority for the HIV/AIDS programme is:

"Dealing urgently and purposefully with the HIV/AIDS emergency in and through the education and training system."

A sense of urgency is evident throughout the system and the interventions are becoming more purposeful, although improved data and results from impact studies are required for a more accurate review.

At national level the extreme seriousness of this programme is reflected by placing the HIV/AIDS national co-ordinator in the Minister’s office. This has given the incumbent political authority and the opportunity to co-ordinate the actions of the officials of the department who have various HIV/AIDS portfolios but who work in different line functions.

The first ever Education Sector conference on HIV/AIDS was held in May 2002. A wide range of people involved in education, as well as social scientists and researchers in the field of HIV/AIDS, attended. There was a useful exchange of views and a sharing of research findings will result in changed approaches to Tirisano projects.

A comprehensive implementation plan that incorporates eight projects with specific strategic objectives, activities and outputs, is operating. Although some of the goals have not been met within the time-frames stipulated, the overall roll-out of the programme has been impressive.

The format of the programme for HIV/AIDS outlined in the Corporate Plan, January 2000 – December 2004 of the Department of Education has been the framework on which all provinces based their reports. Provincial reports will be summarised, following the majority response, under the Corporate Plan programme and its three projects. Commentary from the Department of Education’s perspective will be based on the more detailed information gleaned from the reports supplemented with information from the Department of Education obtained during routine monitoring.

Overview of the achievement of project objectives for the school system. The overview is limited to projects that have balance for the school system.

Project 1: Threat to the Education System,

A complex strategic objective:
"To develop tools and planning models to facilitate analysis and understanding of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education system," Progress in achieving this objective has been hampered by the need for more empirical data. Although planning exercises have been held in the provinces and information has been shared, no analytical tool to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS is ready yet. Work is in progress to establish impact on teacher supply and demand and the enrollment of learners.

Updating all education policies and legislation to ensure that they are congruent with the potential impact of HIV/AIDS on the education system needs to be carried out. Progress has been made with determining policy guidelines for teachers, workplace policies and for reviewing the admission policy and care of learners. However, school communities and the public generally, still have to accept fully the realities of the pandemic and the need to accept people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. There have been several reports in the press of incidents of learners being excluded from schools.

1.2.2 Project 2: HIV/AIDS in the Curriculum

Substantial work has been done in respect of integrating life skills and HIV/AIDS education across the curriculum and ensuring that educators are appropriately trained and resourced. The training of tutor trainers has disseminated training to 36 000 primary school and 6 709 secondary school educators so far. We shall return to this point later in the commentary.

Materials preparation and printing for tutor trainers, schools, lay counsellors and parents is 80% completed.

A very successful collaboration with the Department of Health has been in the production of materials and videos to sustain the dissemination of advocacy. National co-ordination has helped to ensure the delivery of materials in provinces.

Systemic obstacles in provinces, such as the shortage of transport and lack of a sufficient number of officials to manage the project, are not peculiar to this project. At least two full time officials have been employed in each province to manage the conditional grant. A national life-skills co-ordinator meets with the co-ordinating committee every six weeks, in addition to which, provinces also have a broader policy manager for HIV/AIDS interventions. Reports on expenditure are erratic from some provinces. The system of ensuring that the provincial Head of Department signs the requisite dockets slows the reporting process, however, it has increased the overall control of funds.


Project 3: HIV/AIDS and Children in Distress

This project is led by the Directorate of Inclusive Education, which is setting up a system to identify children in need because of the pandemic, and to co-ordinate support and care programmes for these learners. A report in this regard will be available early in 2003. Liaison with the Department of Social Development has taken place in co-ordinating mechanisms. There has been limited access to available grants, with only 44000 being distributed countrywide to date. Statistics are being gathered, but a broader thrust for teaching parental rights needs acceleration.


Project 4 : HIV /AIDS in the Workplace

This project is involved in the creation of an open and supportive environment for those living with HIV/AIDS, as well as the development of workplace programmes making prevention and precaution tools available to employees. A workplace programme has been implemented in the Department of Education. Training of senior management has taken place on an ad hoc basis. Trained personnel have first aid kits. Condoms are available in rest rooms.

Policy documents on workplace issues have been workshopped in co-operation with the Departments of Health and Social Development and an integrated approach has been developed. The extension of a rights’ review programme for educator development is being prepared for delivery in 2003. Educators will be advised on child abuse and their own sexuality; for example, how to react when a learner has a crush on an educator. This is a broad social policy which has resulted from the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Project 5 : HIV / AIDS Awareness, Information and Advocacy

The raising of awareness among educators and learners has been pursued in collaboration with the provinces, but no audit of shortcomings has been completed in line with stated outputs. Multi-media information packages have been produced and distributed. Provincial roll-out has been realized within provincial specific programmes. Overall information dissemination has been achieved.

An impact assessment of the projected impact of HIV/AIDS in the education system has revealed changed attitudes. The amount of work that has been achieved in this area is evident in the brief summaries of provincial reports.

Project 6: HIV/AIDS and Early Childhood Development

Raising awareness in this sector has been achieved through a partnership with LoveLife. The awareness campaign is reported to be highly successful.

Project 8: Implementation of the Strategic Plan and Refinement of Strategy

The task of trying to develop appropriate structures and capacity throughout the education system and to provide the resources and driving force to ensure implementation of processes at all levels has been complex. The Ministry of Education has created a HIV/AIDS Directorate to concentrate on mainstream planning around HIV/AIDS at the national and provincial level within the education system. Education specific structures have been formed in provinces for the life-skills project. Outputs to build capacity in provinces to implement programmes have not been particularly successful. This should improve with increased co-ordination at national level.

The strengthening of partnerships in line with the national multi-sectoral approach of responding to HIV/AIDS has progressed. Active participation by the Department of Education in numerous structures and its own campaign within the education sector are being maintained. Increasing confidence in the programme can be noticed in provincial reports.

Relevant HIV/AIDS objectives have not been incorporated into performance contracts of all senior managers in the Department of Education and it would seem that the champions of projects need to be found at the most senior levels.


1.3 Provincial responses

1.3.1 HIV/AIDS Awareness, Information and Advocacy

Eastern Cape

The department has reproduced the national HIV/AIDS policy in a booklet and disrributed copies to Members of Provincial Legislatures [MPLs], school management teams, school governing bodies [SGBs], educators and others. A parents’ manual [ubungani] has been handed out during parent evenings and workshops. Banners, posters and handouts are always used during celebrations of school AIDS week and other functions. Promotional material and condom dispensers for FET colleges and ABET centres, as well as first aid kits for all the schools and some offices, have been procured.

Free State

A learner conference, "We Care, Do You?" was held in April 2001. The conference aimed at opening the dialogue between youth and adults to stem the epidemic. Successful Peer Education seminars were held in September, and these were a clear indication that learner conferences are not relegated into mere "talk shops." In many districts youth have taken on the roles as educators and mobilisers in their schools, communities and youth organizations. Many of them have established "Youth Alive" clubs with a focus on promoting support groups for abstinence from sex and resisting alcohol and drug abuse. Presentations throughout the province have included topics such as HIV/AIDS, Sexuality Education, and Aids Orphans.

School-based co-ordinators are to be appointed and information regarding district-based forums as well as a database of services will be distributed.

The Free State Department of Education completed all its proposed activities as set out in the Business Plans for 2001/2002 at the end of March 2002, having committed 98% of the conditional grant funding.

Gauteng

This programme has been designed to ensure greater school and community participation. Provincial and district-based motivational workshops and advocacy around HIV/AIDS have taken place with senior managers, principals, parents, NGOs and other government departments to achieve this aim.

The Life Skills: HIV/AIDS Sexuality Programme has been implemented in the public school sector since 1998 reaching 600 secondary schools and 1300 primary schools. Approximately 1,5 million learners are targeted annually by way of drama presentations, posters, leaflets and learning support material such as videos and books on HIV/AIDS.

100% of school communities have been informed of the Life Skills/Sexuality Education Programme via meetings, workshops, and information leaflets or circulars.

Limpopo

Awareness campaigns were conducted targeting schools and departmental officials at all levels of the system on the impact of HIV/AIDS on education. Approximately 3000 employees were reached. These campaigns were intended to build capacity and raise levels of knowledge on HIV/AIDS. Master trainers, educators and departmental managers and life skills co-ordinators were trained.

Advocacy workshops were conducted for parents, learners and educators on sexuality education, utilising Soul City materials and other materials developed and distributed by the national Department of Education and the Department of Health.

As departmental policy declares that training of teachers can only occur after school hours and during school vacations, this policy has impacted negatively on the quality of training provided and serious problems were encountered in relation to attendance

The need to promote values which inculcate respect for girls and women and which recognise the rights of girls and women to free choice in sexual relations, led to the clustering of schools for training purposes and for sharing of best practice and expertise.

Northern Cape

Special HIV/AIDS days [World Aids Day, Candle Light Memorial Day, School Aids Week] are held to promote advocacy. Motivational workshops have been held for educators, learners and parents in all regions.

Business and delivery plans have been completed and accepted by the Department of Education. In schools, educators have been trained to draw up school AIDS policies using national guidelines.

A monitoring tool has been developed and is to be used by officials when making routine school visits. An external agency has been contracted to do an interim implementation evaluation of the programme.

North West

The department has engaged in numerous educational and advocacy campaigns and initiatives in schools and offices. Three days are set aside each week for small group discussions on HIV/AIDS. September, the designated month for highlighting HIV/AIDS in schools, was a resounding success with high participation rates.

The advocacy campaign has resulted in a significant mind shift among the education fraternity. The claim is that everyone knows about HIV/AIDs and its devastating effects.

Western Cape

Every school in the province will be offered a small discretionary budget to encourage them to extend HIV/AIDS educational initiatives into the rest of the school community, including parents.

The number of programme support staff is set to increase, to ensure that the programme is delivered efficiently and effectively from a solid and sustainable capacity-base.


1.3.2 HIV/AIDS within the Curriculum

Eastern Cape

Teaching and learner support material was reproduced in preparation for educator training. 3580 primary and 534 secondary school educators were trained in life skills education and lay counselling. 100 core trainers were trained to support and monitor the Life Skills programme in schools.

Traditional leaders, healers and iingcibi were workshopped on the importance of implementing the life skills programme in schools and on how their involvement would help change behaviour and attitudes.

School principals, teacher union representatives and other community leaders attended workshops on the importance of implementing the HIV/AIDS policy in our schools.

Free State

The Life Skills and HIV/AIDS Programme was prioritized in the implementation plan for Tirisano 2002 – 2005.

"Life Skills in Action" will be performed by learners from various schools demonstrating how the Life Skills programme can be made an exciting and integral part of the curriculum.

The department has concentrated on educator training. Just 13 months into the programme, educators in all primary and secondary schools have been trained in Life Skills and HIV/AIDS Education, in total more than 3200 educators. Farm school educators will be trained in the July holidays. All training on HIV/AIDS is mandatory.

A conference was held from 25 to 27 March 2002 for educators from Grades 4 – 9 who were trained in the Life Skills and HIV/AIDS Programme for these grades.

More than 1200 Grade 5 – 7 educators were trained on Life Skills: Sexuality education issues, while more than 500 were given First Aid training. Districts are involved in further training.

To date, 200 learners and 150 educators have been trained as peer educators after peer education standards were workshopped and refined. This programme is on-going.

Gauteng

The advocacy for the integration of the Life Skills Programme into the school curriculum has to a large extent been achieved by the gradual phasing in of the new OBE curriculum in Grades 1 to 9. The actual integration of the programme within the curriculum is on track with all Learning Areas/Subjects being required to include HIV/AIDS issues in their daily teaching and learning activities.

The department is also running a staff development programme to train district officials [Master Trainers] to train Life Skills to Grade 5 – 7 educators. These educators will be trained to implement the Sexuality, HIV/AIDS and Life Skills Programme in primary and secondary schools. Training also includes issues related to substance abuse, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, self-esteem, violence against the girl child etc.

Training took place for 70 Master trainers from June to August 2001. This training took the form of two 5-day workshops. Further training for 50 Master trainers was done in December 2001. These Master trainers have trained educators in 40 % of primary and secondary schools.

Limpopo

To ensure that Life Skills and HIV/AIDS education are integrated into the curriculum at all levels of the system, training programmes were devised, and educators and subject advisors were trained. This process is ongoing.

Despite training some educators still find it hard to translate knowledge into practice i.e. integrating life skills and HIV/AIDS education across the curriculum because they lack the ability to apply outcomes based education.

Northern Cape

The project is being monitored by a Project Co-ordinator, District Co-ordinators and curriculum specialists. Advocacy material and learner support material, as well as guidelines on implementation, have been distributed to schools. National Project Committee meetings are being attended and feedback has been given to educators.

North West

This programme is the province’s priority in terms of Tirisano. Due to the catastrophic impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the need was identified to develop Life Skills of learners in general and, as a means of managing the present incidence and preventing new infections. The provincial and national activities form part of the National Implementation Programme for which many educators were unprepared.

Training and continuous support are important components of a successful strategy. Successes to date include the training of 75 Master trainers to disseminate training to 2300 educators on Life Skills. 33% of all primary and secondary schools have participated in the Life Skills HIV/AIDS programme this year. Next year will see the inclusion of the other 67%.

The United States Government has assisted in the form of ten highly trained Peace Corps Volunteers who have been deployed in the Vryburg and Mothibistad districts to promote the Life Skills programme.

Western Cape

Approximately 8000 educators from some 850 primary schools have already received training to enable these schools to begin implementing the HIV/AIDS and Sexuality Life Skills programme. Training is well ahead of schedule and the number of educators being trained far exceeds the nationally recommended targets. In addition, 350 educators from 180 secondary schools received training for peer education support.

Learner support material for every learner and educator is currently being distributed to these schools – in their preferred language of English, Afrikaans or isiXhosa. These translations are being shared with other provinces.

By September 2002 every primary school in the province will have begun implementing the life skills programme. The classroom-based programmes of Grades 1 to 7 will be extended to Grades 8 to 9 in 2002 and to Grades 10 – 11 in 2003. 1500 secondary school educators are to receive training in 2002, and a similar number in 2003.


1.3.3 HIV/AIDS and the Education System

Eastern Cape

Pre- and post surveys were conducted of educator training, and the final report is now due, while an external evaluation of the Life Skills programme has been planned for the 2002/2003 financial year.

The Departments of Health and Welfare were engaged to render their specialist services in schools, for example, counselling, grants, and health services

Total expenditure on 31 March 2002 was over R7 million.

Free State

In the 2002/2003 Business Plan, Peer Education in secondary schools will be one of the main focus areas. There are many talented youth who can take part in peer education programmes in schools.

An important conference focused on Care and Support with the aim of helping schools to establish a school- and community based care and support system for learners infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Educators must be able to identify at risk learners and meet the needs of the growing orphan population and together with their partners promote a "culture of care" in schools, making schools centres of hope and care in the community.

The official responsible for establishing the HIV/AIDS programme in the workplace was appointed in May 2001. An HIV/AIDS Workplace Provincial Forum was also established in May 2001. It is made up of representatives from all Directorates and District Offices. Information sessions have been held on Basic Facts of HIV/AIDS, Universal Precautions, Care and Support of the Infected and Affected etc. with various officials. In September 2001 an information session was held for all senior managers on various aspects of HIV/AIDS.

In order to disseminate training on HIV/AIDS, a Train the Trainer workshop for representatives from all directorates took place in November 2001. 113 officials from different occupations have undergone other workplace-related training.

A Candlelight event for all district officials to honour those living with HIV, those affected and those who have died, was held in 2001.

Gauteng

Trained teams assisted in the AIDS workplace and First Aid Training Programme for educator and administrative staff during school holidays and over weekends. More than 1300 staff in offices and schools were trained as Master Trainers on the Workplace Programme. Attendees attended a 4-day AIDS Workplace Training Programme and a 2-day First Aid Training programme. Master trainers are also expected to train colleagues in offices and schools.

To ensure that schools are involved in school-based life skills activities, the department provides funding via districts to implement programmes linked to the integration of Life skills within the Curriculum. These activities are info/edutainment directed and actively involve learners.

Guidelines were distributed to 100% of schools on the Implementation of Sexuality Education, Life Skills and HIV/AIDS Programmes in Schools last year. Guidelines on how to request budgets from districts to implement school-based activities were also distributed.

70-80% of schools have started submitting business plans to districts so as to access budgets for this programme. Districts have started processing 80% of these business plans.

Monthly meetings with districts Life Skills co-ordinators have been successfully held during 2001-2002. Thus far, eight provincial meetings have been held. Reports on district-based activities show that district Life Skills co-ordinators visited six schools per week on average. Seven monthly district reports and seven provincial reports were submitted to the Department of Education and the Gauteng Treasury. A Provincial Business Plan for 2002/3 was submitted to the national Department of Education.

Support visits by the provincial Life Skills co-ordinator to the 12 district Life Skills co-ordinators was necessary to resolve recurring issues around procurement and financial reporting.

5 cluster (district) meetings have been held with district units. Further support will be offered to districts with regard to drafting reports and district business plans for 200/3. A random snap survey will be conducted in 10-15% of schools to assess or review the implementation of the Life Skills programme.

Limpopo

It has been difficult to develop planning models for analysing the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education and training programmes. There is a lack of expertise and systems to provide accurate and correct data i.e. from schools and regions in the province.

An integrated approach to dealing and responding to the impact of HIV/AIDS has been worked out and developed with sister departments such as Health and Welfare in responding to and addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education system.

Northern Cape

An HIV/AIDS Workshop policy has been developed for head office and district offices, and a School Aids Policy has been drawn up for the already trained schools, while guidelines in developing a workplace policy have been distributed to all schools.

There has been an infusion of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies into other programmes and projects. Liaison with senior management on strategies for advocacy, awareness and implementation is being continued.

North West

3011 First Aid kits were purchased and distributed to schools, colleges and early learning centres. 1147 educators have been trained in First Aid and 1366 in Basic Counselling.

Condom dispensers have been purchased and distributed to all office components. Condoms are being made available on a regular basis, while notices on HIV/AIDS are placed in strategic areas.

It is appropriate to acknowledge the contribution of the conditional grant of R5 million from the Department of Education for the past year. This year it is R11,36 million as part of a three year programme.

Western Cape

A peer educator training and support initiative is to be introduced in 120 schools in 2002, with a targeted outcome of some 5000 peer educators/peer leaders trained.

In order to achieve this, the department will be working with a number of key NGOs and tertiary institutions known to provide quality service.

A Care and Service programme will also be provided to educators in 2002.

1.4 Commentary

1.4.1 General observations

Although the provincial reports were generally of a descriptive nature, they contained sufficient information to indicate a growing attention to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. There is still much that the education sector needs to do in an effort to be much more pro-active in its approach to this monstrous threat.

Proof of widespread advocacy campaigns is noted through information sessions with many education stakeholders throughout the country. In offices, posters and condom dispensers have been provided. The thrust towards attitudinal change among men seems to be gaining momentum, but concerns have been expressed by education officials that initiation ceremonies were being interpreted as giving young men sexual rights over women. Liaison between education departments and traditional leaders and surgeons is ongoing.

Workplace concerns include the lack of replacements for educators who are presumed to be suffering from HIV/AIDS. This is exacerbated if they are attending school to preserve leave rights but are unable to teach properly. Lack of disclosure of HIV/AIDS status because of stigma, of violent reactions against HIV-positive educators by communities, and of the possible loss of life insurance benefits, make it very difficult for provincial education departments to manage a system of support.

The sensitivity surrounding data has delayed the development of planning models in respect of supply and demand. Such models should have emerged from the USAID sponsored study on the effects of morbidity and mortality among learners and educators. They are urgently required. Further research is underway to explore other direct but less intrusive approaches that will lead to the development of suitable models.

Orphans and other infected/affected children are posing huge problems, with little effective response having occurred.

Despite capacity problems in certain provinces, the infusion of HIV/AIDS into the Life Skills curriculum is being implemented according to plan but at a slow pace. At least two co-ordinators have been appointed through national assistance in each province to help drive this process. This response indicates a way in which national priorities can be met through collaboration with provinces and direct financial or personnel assistance.

Reservations about the efficacy of the teaching of Life Skills have been expressed in some provinces where the effect of OBE teaching as a whole is regarded as not being very effective. In this respect impact assessment models are required to test levels of performance.

1.4.2 Selected areas of progress

The tables below indicate the number of teachers who have been trained on Life Skills, incorporating HIV/AIDS, and not the efficacy of transfer of training. Anxiety needs to be expressed at the slow rate of training.

Training of Educators

All provinces reported on the training of educators in Life Skills. Progress made in this regard is summarised in Table 1 for primary and secondary schools respectively

Table 1: Primary school teachers who have been trained on Life Skills, incorporating HIV/AIDS, in the provinces

Table 1 shows that most provinces have targeted more than 80% of primary schools. It has not been possible to establish why all schools have not been reached within the two years of implementation of the Tirisano programme. Nor has it been possible to establish the schools that have not been reached. This is particularly an area of concern for the Ministry, as Life Skills is a learning area which is implemented in all schools within Curriculum 2005.

A second area of concern arises from the number of educators trained. All provinces, except Free State and Western Cape have trained fewer than 20% of all primary school teacher. Nationally 14,4% primary school educators have been trained. This number is most probably adequate for the teaching of the learning area: Life Skills. Our efforts at training educators particularly in provincial departments has to be increased to ensure the integration of Life Skills across the Curriculum.

The information in Table 2 regarding training of secondary school educators shows that fewer educators have been trained than those in primary schools. Only the Free State and North West have trained more than 10% of their educators. 5.9% of all secondary school teachers have thus far been trained. Table 3 gives a summary of all the educators.

Table 2: Secondary school teachers who have been trained on Life Skills, incorporating HIV/AIDS, in the provinces

Table 3: Total number of all teachers who have been trained on Life Skills, incorporating HIV/AIDS, in the provinces

During a period of over two years only 12,1% of teachers have been trained in this programme. This figure will most likely increase as provincial departments and educators gain confidence in handling Life Skills, HIV and AIDS across the Curriculum.It is imperative for provinces to expedite training.

Performance of provinces in the utilisation of the conditional grant

Problems in respect of late payments of conditional grants in the 2000/2001 financial year were mentioned by Limpopo and other provinces The low expenditure of 23,14% by provinces on the HIV/AIDS conditional grant in this year, indicated in the tables below, can partly be attributed to this situation. But as Gauteng and North West were able to spend at a high level, these statistics tend to reflect on provincial weaknesses in the planning and implementation of HIV/AIDS programmes.

Table 4: 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 Conditional Grant allocation to and expenditure by provincial departments of education for HIV/AIDS

In the Fifth Report to the President an improvement in expenditure and the utilisation of the grant was reported to be at 39,45%, based on reports that had been submitted to February 2002. Table 1.4 above shows that there was significant improvement by the close of the financial year with expenditure at 71,74% of the allocation. Figure 1.1 shows the comparison in expenditure between the financial years 2000/01 and 2001/02.

Figure 1: Comparison of expenditure of the HIV/AIDS conditional grant for the financial years 2000/01 and 2001/02/


It is depressing to note that the Western Cape and Limpopo have spent under 30% of their allocations. Given the extreme need to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, an expenditure rate of 71,74% is still considered to be inadequate. It is anticipated that the situation will improve with the increased coordination and management of conditional grants.

The overlapping responsibilities of the Departments of Health, Education and Social Development have begun to be understood and co-ordination has improved. In provinces, departments of health tend to be the lead departments. The Offices of Premiers also play a central role in the HIV/AIDS programme, resulting in projects emanating from these programmes being followed by provincial education departments rather than the specific Tirisano projects. There is, of course, major overlap in their objectives.

SECTION 2 : SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS AND EDUCATOR PROFESSIONALISM

Introduction

This is a programme covering numerous complicated projects at the heart of schooling. Once again in their responses to Programme 2, provinces have used different frameworks. The nodal areas and systemic focus in the Implementation Plan for Tirisano 2001 – 2002 differs somewhat from the Implementation for Tirisano Plan January 2000 – December 2004 and the Corporate Plan 2000 - 2004. Hence the provincial reports have been collated under systemic projects dealing with Making Schools Work; Leadership, Management and Governance Development; Status and Quality of Teaching; School Safety; and School Infrastructure. Nodal projects will be given general comment, and specific reference under some provinces. Project 5: Longitudinal Study of School Effectiveness will be discussed from the national perspective.

The broad scope of these projects has meant that they reside in different branches in the Department of Education. This has made it difficult to obtain a coherent mode of operation. Although the intentions have been good, management of projects has been difficult. In the Department of Education a project manager was appointed to assist with the integration of work performed across branches.

As provincial colleagues were not part of the original discussions, their understanding of projects is different from that at national level. The Department of Education has been trying to create a common vision and understanding, but views on the setting of schools on a path to transformation often move outside of the tight objectives that have been set for the programme.

A more holistic approach away from a focus on immediate and visible results appears to be occurring under this programme, which, in essence, targets the essential areas for effective teaching and learning.

The crucial project, Longitudinal Study of School Effectiveness has not been completed. Although a base-line study has been done, re-structuring in the department has led to a halt of work on this component. But the question of what is an effective South African school still needs to be developed. It is probable that a South African model, or models, will emerge from the work being done in nodal areas.

A major thrust of this programme has been the development of projects in the nodal areas that were identified by government in the Integrated Rural Development Strategy and in the Urban Renewal Strategy. Although there has been contestation over the selection of nodal areas in provinces, final choices have now been made. With a start in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, North West and Limpopo, the programme has now spread to 2500 schools throughout the country.

Targets for nodal schools were revised and a more conservative re-formulation of outputs was done. It was essential to ensure that there were teams in provinces and in nodal areas, and this objective has largely been met. The initial processes of the programme had to be linked to development plans for the specific areas. This is an understanding that has developed differently in provinces and needed extra time in initial planning. Interventions need to be part of a district’s own plan, and it would appear that this has not been done properly overall. Attempts are now being made to go to districts in teams to re-survey district plans and to create necessary synergies.

Profiles of areas, communities and schools have been completed and work is proceeding at different rates. In Gauteng a Deputy Director-General has led the project at a fast pace, while Eastern Cape is still struggling for a permanent appointee.

In terms of the rather overwhelming systemic interventions, in many projects concept documents have been developed, but other outputs have not been realised. Ongoing objectives such as the filling of management posts in schools now show greater efficiency and the training of school management teams by management and governance co-ordinators is spreading in, for example, farm and rural schools.

Instruments or process documents are produced and their use in the system is often hampered by inherent challenges of implementation or lack of capacity. For example, Developmental Appraisal System [DAS] instruments were considered to be unimplementable and have had to be revised. The Developmental Appraisal System [DAS] is an evaluation instrument that is designed for educators to be evaluated through their peers. The objective of this system is to identify areas where the educator would later need to improve.

Provincial problems have arisen where the management of DAS and Whole School Evaluation [WSE] have been placed in different directorates, emphasising the difficulty of integrating national imperatives into provinces that have widely differing structures and capacity. The slowness of the implementation of DAS has also led to teacher union contestation.

Guidelines have been developed for the promotion of women to leadership positions, but the outputs have not been met. This example, of an output not being met, can be repeated in a number of projects.

2.2 Provincial responses

2.2.1 Making Schools Work

Free State

For the past two years the province has been successfully participating in the National Teaching Awards scheme. Enthusiasm and participation has greatly improved with the full participation and support of educator unions who were initially sceptical.

In the past year Senzile Secondary School was voted Most Improved Secondary School and Mr Khoarai Khoarai formerly of Tsoseletso Secondary School was voted the best in the category of School Leadership.

Gauteng

The School Effectiveness project is underpinned by the implementation of OBE and the professional development of educators to implement Curriculum 2005. Schools were assisted in preparing school development plans, classroom management and planning programmes. School and classroom management was improved and a marked difference in the discipline of learners and educators was noted for 2001. The Schools Effectiveness Programme saw teaching start on the first day of the school year and disruptions kept to a minimum.

A division for the promotion of Educational Standards and Quality Assurance has been established in the department. This is in line with the National Policy on Whole School Evaluation. A total of 72 supervisors were trained in whole school evaluation. 16 schools including 13 in Alexandra, were successfully evaluated and reports are being finalized for analysis and quality assurance in schools evaluated.

A school beautification project, which focused on building a sense of pride in schools, was also undertaken. The project saw the involvement of schools in getting their grounds cleaned, classrooms painted and vegetable gardens established.

The department has succeeded in establishing Education Action Zones’ [EAZ] schools and enhancing the culture of Learning and Teaching Services to these schools. 76 EAZ schools were identified in 2000 but only 3 remain in the loop this year. Amongst the department’s successes are the improved understanding and implementation of Labour Relations processes by EAZ principals. Schools that were previously no-go areas have now become accessible to the department. The department has also procured community involvement in its quest to reduce vandalism and burglaries at these schools.

The department has resolved to focus on basic aspects for the effective running of schools. Although teaching and learning has improved in EAZ schools, the quality of teaching still needs to be assessed. Duduza and Tsakane schools have had disruptions to their teaching and learning process. Educators in these schools show a general discomfort with OBE. However, the department has conducted training on lesson preparation for all Grade 8 and 9 educators.

So as to sustain the improvement in EAZ schools, the department will monitor interventions put in place over the last two years. Regular reporting on Tirisano, monthly SGB reports and financial reporting will form part of the sustained support to these schools. The department hopes to track areas that require further support and intervention and will monitor the implementation of key provincial and national policies. Sustainable support is also ensured with district transversal teams visiting these schools regularly.




Limpopo

School support programmes targeting dysfunctional and non-performing schools were implemented. Adopt-a-school campaign, implementation of the whole school evaluation programme and the COLTS programme are underway.

The number of dysfunctional schools and poor performing schools were reduced in the province. Through the development of standards to measure performance targets guided by the whole school evaluation policy and quality assurance policy, schools improved their performance. The level of absenteeism in respect of both learners and educators was reduced and adherence to school working hours was improved.

Improving learner and educator performance especially in the areas of Maths, Science, Technology and the general improvement in relation to Grade 12 results has been achieved through winter and Saturday enrichment programmes. Learners and educator performance, especially in the areas of Maths and Science, has improved as is reflected in the matric pass rate in the past 3 years i.e. 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Time constraints and lack of adequate staff to provide school based support for all the public schools in the province has been experienced.

Northern Cape

Targeted schools in the Kimberley and De Aar districts received training on School Improvement/Development planning. These schools subsequently submitted their School Improvement Plans to district offices in October 2000. These schools were further provided with the following as planning tools:
District delivery statements, with departmental priorities
Allocation for 2001/2002
Revised strategic plans

The Regional/District integrated planning process that started off as an activity under Quality Assurance, has since become the primary process that has influenced the department’s strategic planning process; to look at planning holistically i.e. bottom-up and top-down and throughout all levels of the system.

North West

Provincially, the Whole School Evaluation policy was launched on 4 August 2001 after 33 posts were advertised and filled. Work has started on implementation of the policy. Through this policy, the department will be in a position to plan properly, identify the gaps in our schooling system, as well as to improve on the strengths.

Western Cape

Schools are regarded as structures within communities, and not islands. They should involve communities in all their programmes and report back to parents on their achievements and challenges. Only when this happens can they claim to be centres of community and cultural life. The department is trying to promote these activities.

Partnerships with government, private, Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) sectors are some of the key elements to eradicate social evils and poverty in the communities.

Schools must have a community-orientated problem solving approach, i.e. community involvement must be crucial in whatever they do to address their challenges and problems.

Communities want to have a voice in school affairs. This is why the Constitution and the South African Schools Act makes provision for the full participation of parents in the education of their children. The role and functions of the School Governing Bodies must therefore not be underestimated.

Various initiatives such as the school development project to build community structures to assist with crime and violence were implemented in the province.

The Education Management and Development Centre (EMDC) Metropole East is currently planning an Educational Indaba in Khayelitsha where the Department of Education (national and provincial) as well as all community structures will be involved to strengthen the ties between the schools and the community. Lessons learnt at this Indaba will be shared with all.

2.2.2 Leadership, Management and Governance Development

Free State

The building of capacity of School Governing Bodies [SGBs] in terms of their functioning forms part of the annual departmental programme. The training focuses on acquiring knowledge of how Section 21 schools function, their roles and responsibilities and school development planning. In the first term, for example, 466 SGB members in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District were trained and 22 schools were visited as a follow-up.

In April 2001 a major 3-day provincial principals’ conference was held and as a sequel, principals’ conferences are being held in districts this year.

Gauteng

A District Development conference that focused on implementing management systems was held in October 2001. The intention was to put management systems in place for the planning, control, monitoring and support of project managers. This project will build district officers’ capacity to render effective support to schools. As part of the project, it is envisaged that other support staff will be trained in management systems.

Further training on management was targeted at schools in township areas. Training was focused on equipping School Management Teams [SMTs] and SGBs with skills on financial management and control. Among the successes was the proof that schools were able to prepare and submit cash flow and balance sheet statements to account for the use of funding allocations made to them.

Capacity building for the allocation of Section 21 functions for self-management has also taken place and an Academy for Governance will soon be launched.

A service provider has been commissioned to train school management teams and school governing bodies. Of particular focus will be the financial management training for SGBs.

Limpopo

A great deal of work has been done on Education Management Development:
Leadership and management courses.
Change management workshops and SMT’s. 360 units already trained.
Instructional leadership.
Roles and Responsibilities of managers. 240 units were trained.
Constitution writing.
Policy formulation and implementation.
District integrated planning and Project management. 160 district officials attended.
Management leadership and School development. 440 School Management Team units were trained

Insufficient human and financial resources have had an impact on these projects.

Through the school governance training programmes, the governing bodies and school management teams have been trained on policy development to ensure the development of school policies on access, utilisation of school resources, premises and assets, HIV/AIDS policies and others.

Northern Cape

SGBs of targeted schools in the Kimberley and De Aar districts were trained on their roles, rights and responsibilities in October 2000. Training of district teams, for school governance, and on the implementation of norms and standards for school funding was completed in October 2000, while training of these targeted schools on financial management was achieved by the end of March 2001. Representative Councils of Learners [RCLs] members of these schools also underwent training.

The Education Management and Governance for Development unit has become fully operational largely due to the full-scale programmes that are funded through the conditional grant.

2.2.3 The Status and Quality of Teachers

Eastern Cape

The department is planning to develop and implement INSET programmes in the following areas:
Curriculum 2005 [C2005] – improving and expanding the training programme to bring it in line with the national curriculum statements as they become available.
Special Focus INSET programmes in areas identified as urgent, such as literacy, numeracy, improving content area knowledge.

In addition, the department is working in partnership with the South African Council for Educators and the Education and Labour Relations Council to develop and implement the NPDE programmes.

Statistics reveal that there are 18,700 under qualified educators in the province. In 2002, 2894 have registered with the NPDE programme.

In addition, the department has recently received funding from the DFID Imbewu Phase 2 programme for the training of subject advisors.

The Curriculum Management and Professional Development Directorate will be involved in implementing the newly adopted School Transformation Model which takes all schools through a process of vision crafting, using a Whole School Development Model for School Development and Support Planning, and In-school Professional Development.

The department has trained educators in C2005 since 1998 starting with Grade 1. The last grade that teachers will be trained for this year is Grade 6. The department has engaged an external evaluator to establish the impact of this C2005 training. In addition to the departmental training, the departmental projects like Imbewu, Isithole, Ikhwezi have written modules and trained educators on OBE. Such projects have been evaluated and indications are that active learning through the use of outcomes-based education is taking place.

Free State

The department has effectively followed and implemented the national time- table on the phasing in of Curriculum 2005. In the past year training was provided to all grade 5 and 9 educators who had to implement C2005 from January 2002. This implies that almost all educators of the GET band have now been trained on the OBE driven curriculum.

The national Maths, Science and Technology strategy focusing on educator development and the promotion of science education in schools is going ahead. Six schools in the province are participating in this programme. The Canadian government is supporting the improvement of mathematics, science and biology teaching and learning in Botshabelo for 24 FET institutions. The Flemish Government is supporting the teaching and learning of mathematics in intermediate schools in the province. This programme focuses on resource and staff development.

Gauteng

As part of the development of educators, the department distributed pace setters and common examination papers to all schools. The achievement of this strategy was that common standards were set for high risk subjects for Grade 9 to Grade 12 classes in the October/November examination. A database of question papers was developed which helped to facilitate the writing of the common examinations that were written in all Katlehong and Alexandra High Schools. This initiative saw an improvement of the examination results across the province.

Added to this initiative, foundation phase educators were trained in classroom management.

Learner support materials were also supplied to equip mathematics, science and technology subjects. This project plans to put electronic learning programmes, science practical training, geometry training and a Grade 8 mathematics intervention project in place for the schools. Training in technology will also be offered for educators.

Quality assurance in institutions has been done through systemic evaluation and Broad Management Team school visits. This programme has seen the development and maintenance of a school development, support and monitoring system. Questionnaires were developed and school visits are contributing strongly to addressing the needs of institutions in terms of learners’ performance. Districts are reporting on increased pass rates as a result of these interventions.

The department also identified foundation phase schools in two nodal areas, namely Alexandra and Katlehong to unergo systemic evaluation. This was conducted at 32 Alexandra and Katlehong schools at a cost of R120 000.

Limpopo

Frameworks have been created for educator development such as a policy on a national professional diploma in education by selecting and ensuring the registration of under qualified educators with the two local universities. Educators have been trained in the implementation of C2005 policy.

The province has allocated 2000 bursaries for educators. However, 1795 have been registered. More educators with qualifications below REQV 13 will be trained through similar programmes.

There is a lack of adequate support from curriculum advisors to consolidate knowledge gained.



Educators were trained in C2005 throughout the province:

Grade 4: 15 356
Grade 5: 13 958
Grade 6: 3 540
Grade 7: 40 655
Grade 8: 22 650
Grade 9: 13 765

900 educators for Grades 10-12 in Maths, Science and English were trained on subject specifics to improve learner performances and attainment.

District facilitators were trained on assessment skills, in developing common tasks for assessment and on designing strategies for school based assessment. However, there was inadequate expertise to facilitate training on assessment by departmental officials.

Grade 12 learners were introduced to career paths and choices through the Dinaledi project.

1 005 district trainers were trained on GETC.

2 184 educators received training on assessment skills.

43 486 learners registered and participated in a Grade 8 GETC pilot.

Northern Cape

Curriculum training was conducted for Grade 4 and 8 in 2000-2001 and for Grades 5 and 9 in 2001-2002, on both occasions during the first week of the July holidays, which avoided classroom disruptions. Training concentrated on school, phase and classroom OBE planning, implementation of guidelines, management of assessment and appropriate content. A total of 1731 educators were trained.

Limitations that should be mentioned are that the time frame for training was inadequate. As a result there has been no consolidation of problem areas. The vastness of the province militates against area managers being able to monitor, or give guidance and support. Grade 5 and 9 training was more successful in that the training took the form of practical demonstrations and small group activities.

In partnership with the national department, learning area managers have completed assessment guidelines in each of the learning areas. All Grade 9 educators will be trained on guideline documents by mid-year. In addition all primary and secondary school principals have already been guided through the GETC framework.

A high impact intervention programme has been implemented in the seven most dysfunctional secondary schools in the province, while regional Winter/Spring schools were held to assist other under performing schools.

Compulsory preparatory examinations for all Grade 12 learners has been instituted, and the improved results in 2001 were pleasing.

North West

Systemic Evaluation is another Quality Assurance activity, which is aimed at evaluating progress made towards the achievement of transformational goals in the entire education system.

This activity focuses specifically on redress, equality, access to education and quality of education. This department will redouble its efforts to ensure that these goals are progressively achieved.

The department views DAS as an important tool to assist in the development of educators. It is also linked to the Skills Development Plan. The department is making a commitment to intensify the implementation of this policy through the creation of proper structures during this financial year.

The analysis of the matriculation results has indicated poor performance in science subjects. As a result the department started in the previous year with the distribution of the Somerset Science Kits to secondary schools to enhance the teaching in scientific subjects. The Somerset team also assisted with training.

A Language in Education Policy has been developed to address the issue of multi-lingualism in our schools. There is great enthusiasm among all schools for the introduction of a third language into our schools.

As an extra-curricular programme, school sport contributes to the upliftment and development of learners. School sport also supports the national Tirisano philosophy by fostering holistic development, mass participation, integration, and opportunities that lead to nation building. The department is also putting in place mechanisms that will allow schools to integrate music, art, debates and other cultural activities into the curriculum.

In order to develop a competitive education system, the department supplied 2133 boxes of books to schools to boost their library collections. As part of the National Reading Promotion Initiative, the Read-a-thon was celebrated in September 2001 with 120 educators participating.

During 2001, the North West was the first province to implement the national initiative of the re-skilling of 150 mathematics, science and technology educators from the Atamelang and Mothibistadt Districts. Other districts are being targeted.

The District Improvement Project and the Quality Learnership Project are being implemented in the most disadvantaged districts to increase the provisioning of teaching and learning materials to all schools. These districts will also benefit from electrification and, with all others, from Microsoft software, arranged by the Department of Education.

The adoption of the Curriculum Statement has opened the door for the proper implementation of Outcomes Based Education. The department welcomes this development and commits itself to vigorous participation.

Western Cape

In 2002 the department established the Institute for In-service Teacher Development. The content of the programmes at the institute and the prioritization of these programmes will be determined by policy requirements and be informed by classroom-based research. In August 2002 the first course will begin. It is planned to release 100 educators at a time, and substitute educators will be paid for by the department.
The Western Cape has also participated in the national NPDE process. 150 educators are attending courses offered by the University of Stellenbosch and the University of the Western Cape. Other training is being done through conditional grants.

Outcomes-based education has been implemented in all GET grades except Grade 6. Grade 6 educators are currently being trained for implementation in 2003. Implementation of improved outcomes-based assessment has contributed significantly to the success of active learning. The introduction of outcomes-based assessment at both GETC [Grade 9] level and in the continuous assessment of Senior Certificate candidates has had an impact on the system and promotes active learning.

2.2.4 School Safety

Eastern Cape

School Safety Committees were established in Mdantsane [120 schools], Sterkspruit [118 schools], and Umtata [134 schools] and trained in the development of safety policies. A provincial workshop for district officials was held to train them on the development of school safety plans. They will further assist in the selection of the safety committees and train them in their respective districts.

Training workshops were held for girl children and lady educators in Mdantsane, Queenstown, Sterkspruit and Umtata on the basic self-defence skills. In partnership with SAPS, the department conducted an anti-drug campaign for King William’s Town and surrounding areas. Publicity material has been produced to support the campaign.

In arrangement with the department, SAPS conducted confidential interviews in the western region in an attempt to get information from learners and to empower them on the dangers of sex abuse and how to deal with such challenges. Further partnerships with SAPS and Welfare have been formalized.

The gun-free schools initiative has been started in Motherwell and secondary schools are taking part in the programme.

Free State

The department appointed an official to deal with this matter on a full time basis from December 2001.

In March 2002 a provincial launch of the Adopt-A-Cop project was undertaken in Kroonstad. Also in the first term of 2002, information sessions on safety were held with principals, who were addressed by officials from SAPS, Health, Welfare and Correctional Services.

A programme to rehabilitate youth who were former members and leaders of gangs has been undertaken. This programme is also a joint one with other departments.

Gauteng

The School Safety programme is aimed at creating a safe and tolerant learning environment. An advocacy campaign will be conducted in nodal areas to establish school safety committees and to offer support.

Limpopo

Through an adopt-a-school programme and regular school visits by departmental officials and members of the public and the provincial legislature, learning and teaching have improved and conditions under which learning occurs were improved.

Advocacy campaigns were held through creative arts festivals. Core groups of educators and district officials were trained on school safety to ensure effective implementation of policy. Safe school local persons have been identified in most schools to co-ordinate and monitor implementation of the safe school’s policy.

Most donors and communities still see the responsibility of providing fencing as being that of government and changing attitudes is a slow process. Through the educational grants money and other funding sources and commitment by communities to provide school fencing, the department has prioritised fencing of schools for the coming financial years.

Lack of capacity to monitor and guide schools on policy formulation, review and implementation is a drawback.

Northern Cape

Galeshewe was identified as the province’s target area and it was also the Presidential focus area for crime. Three clusters were formed and identified schools were workshopped on the development of School Safety Policy documents.

North West

School safety is one of the pillars of the Culture of Learning, Teaching and Service, yet remains a vexing issue, and efforts to meet the ever-growing challenges in the province include collaboration with SAPS to develop a code regarding safety in schools. The SAPS has trained 100 police to give momentum to this process through the Adopt-A-Cop project.

Related to the issue of safety is discipline, and the department has trained all office managers in disciplinary procedures. A core group of college lecturers has been trained and they have cascaded discipline training to the principals of all 2300 schools.

The number of sexual abuse cases by educators has risen and the simplification of the appropriate Act has assisted provinces in dealing swiftly with such cases. All appeals to the MEC have been turned down and the names of guilty educators have been sent to the South African Council for Educators for them to be struck off the roll.

Western Cape

The department has been pro-active by implementing a number of programmes. These include the Safe Schools Programme that provides schools in high risk areas with funds to install good security systems, with armed response. Physical barriers have also been installed.

Funds are also provided from the scheduled maintenance budget for the erection of "high security" perimeter fences at schools where the incidence of vandalism is high.


2.2.5 School Infrastructure Development

Eastern Cape

The province has over 6400 schools that accommodate approximately 2,1 million learners. There is, however, a shortage of approximately 20000 classrooms, and a large number of the existing school buildings require extensive repairs. In addition to this, many high school buildings have no specialist rooms such as libraries and laboratories [90%]. A large number of schools have insufficient toilets or toilets that are no longer usable, and in 1487 cases with no toilets and in 1972 cases with no running water. A large number of learners are still taught in church halls, garages and even under trees.

Over R700 million has been spent on educational infrastructure in the province in the past 7 years. Over 300 schools have been built, while 2004 emergency classrooms have been erected and over 1020 toilets installed. Additional to government funds, the EU has funded 83 schools and the Japanese Government has provided funding for 65 schools.

Communities have also made significant contributions. For this reason, Operation Shukumisa is being launched, through which 1500 schools will receive up to R75000 each to renovate their own schools. This will also assist small contractors.

The school building programme has been fast tracked through service level agreements with other departments and trusts. The building programme for 2001/2002 has been completed, and the total budget of R358 million for 2002/2003 will be spent by February 2003.

Free State

In the Free State the responsibility for building schools lies with the provincial department of Public Works.

Over the past two years 263 prefabricated classrooms have been erected and 17 new schools have been built, either by Public Works, the Free State Building Trust [on a 75:25 basis], or under the National School Building Fund.

In order to improve conditions at farm schools, 77 classrooms have been built, 48 schools have been provided with water, 49 with power and 64 with solar power. Over 400 schools have been provided with pit toilets.

Minor renovations were undertaken in over 430 schools, in areas such as the deprived Thaba Nchu area, and 69 schools were renovated after the floods in Qwa Qwa.

Gauteng

The department received a conditional grant of R32 million for infrastructure. The target of 100 schools was reduced to 26 due to budget constraints and the result of an audit conducted into the needs of schools.

The department had identified 77 schools to receive palisade fencing for the 2001/2002 financial year. This was completed for 79% of identified schools. Sanitation was completed in 130 schools, which was 80 more than first identified, while 95,2% of schools have been provided with running water, a total of 60 out of 63. Electricity has been provided to 59 schools and 80% of the target to provide 520 classrooms was met at the end of 2001.

Limpopo

1 224 classrooms were completed during the period 2000 – 2002 in an attempt to provide classrooms to reduce learner/classroom ratio to an acceptable norm.

A list of dilapidated infrastructure has been drawn up, prioritised and tenders have been advertised.

Storm damaged classrooms have also been listed and tenders have been arranged.

In respect of 2001/02 and 2002/03 projects general progress has been good. The Department of Public Works has started early to implement projects for 2002/03. The progress is as follows:
2001/02: Classroom backlog was 16 548. 484 new classrooms were provided.
2002/03: 828 new classrooms are to be provided.

North West

The infrastructure development programme is finally on track. As a government we have vowed to eradicate the backlogs in school infrastructure development.

Immense strides have been made to ameliorate this situation and in this financial year, 33 new schools, 30 extensions to schools, 1199 new toilets, 57 special function classrooms, and numerous other offices etc. will be built.

The previous budget year, 200/2001, was declared as the Year of Eradicating Platooning in schools. The 2002/2003 financial year is the Year of Sanitation, with a fast tracked programme of building toilets and providing water.

Through the North West Education Trust infrastructure provisioning will increase by over R 29 million. Other partnerships with the private sector will be created.

Western Cape

All School Governing Bodies have been encouraged to give one member the "buildings portfolio". This member is expected to form a committee comprising educators, parents and learners. The focus will be on the protection and maintenance of the buildings. Monthly reports will be tabled at the SGB meetings.

It is interesting to note that where school communities have taken "ownership" of their school, vandalism seldom occurs. A number of NGOs run competitions whereby the school with the cleanest building / most attractive garden / playing fields etc. will receive substantial prizes. The "Fairest Cape Association" has done excellent work with Western Cape schools.

All schools receive a Norms and Standards budget from the department with which to effect minor repairs to the buildings. Some schools have excelled by replacing the entire roof, painting the exterior of the building etc., all at own cost.

Vandalism and wanton destruction of school property has steadily decreased since 1995. Expenditure is still necessary where the community has not taken over "ownership" of their buildings.




2.3 Commentary

General observations

There is a clear sense of challenge and excitement in the provinces, particularly among officials involved in this programme, who are, in effect, trying to change an entire schooling system and to make education part of an entire transformation of society. They have delivered on many discrete things and are developing new ways of working towards the President’s priorities. This enthusiasm and the considered thinking behind the programme need to be captured and communicated.

Although self reporting tends towards the positive, massive training and resource delivery has taken place in the provinces. Records exist of interventions on all Tirisano projects, but the efficacy of these interventions needs to be monitored and evaluated. In this respect impact assessment models still need to be completed, tested and used, if accurate evaluation is to be achieved.

Provincial implementation is varied as resources, both material and human in numbers and skills, differ greatly.

Dysfunctional schools have been given special attention and improved matriculation results are an indicator of success. A South African school effectiveness model should be created to assist in the benchmarking of this developmental process. Different approaches will probably need to be devised for the hard core of dysfunctional schools that still exist, despite all interventional activities.

A number of provinces have devised their own manuals in respect of leadership, management and governance, based on the Department of Education models. Governance has been a new concept for many communities and new regulations were required to curb abuses of power. Training is an ongoing necessity in this area.

A closer look needs to be taken of the almost inordinate amount of training that is being offered. Quality assurance is vital in this field, as poor quality trainers and training material has a negative effect.

The safe schools project appears to be bearing fruit as a number of provinces have reported on a reduction in vandalism and more peaceful environments.

Selected quantifiable improvements

2.3.2.1 Upgrading of educators

Outcomes Based Education has been revitalised through the revised Curriculum 2005 process, but reports and opinions differ on the efficacy of transfer of training in this regard. Training, and follow-up, has been inhibited through lack of transport and trainees in a number of provinces.

Given South Africa’s clear "inherited inequalities" the distribution picture about teacher qualifications across the provinces is, understandably, uneven. Upgrading of underqualified educators is continuing as one of the most important processes of transformation. In 1997 Edusource reported that 112 000 teachers in South Africa were un-qualified or under-qualified. This amounted to 31% of the teaching force. Two years later the picture had not shifted substantially enough. The (October 1999) statistics on the status of the un- and under-qualified teachers shows that a total of 85 501 teachers had less than the REQV 13 qualification. This amounted to 23,9% of the teaching force. The decrease from 31% to 23,9 % shows progress regarding the upgrading of teachers in South Africa; however, this is still far from adequate. Table 5 gives a summary of extent of training that is required by presenting figures regarding the number of unqualified and underqualified teachers relative to the teacher population in the years 1999 to 2001.

Table 5: Summarized breakdown of unqualified and under-qualified educators by province in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo Province have a higher population, above 20%, of unqualified and under-qualified teachers. Values that are surprisingly high are those for the North West. The data in Table 5 is represented graphically in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Summarized breakdown of unqualified and under-qualified educators by province in 1999, 2000 and 2001.


Figure 2 shows that the percentage of unqualified and under-qualified educators is decreasing with the interventions made albeit rather slowly. More numbers could be accommodated as the programme of upgrading the qualifications of the educators progresses and gains momentum.
The Department of Education, the Education Labour Relations [ELRC] and the South African Council of Educators [SACE] have joined hands in reducing the number of the un/under qualified teachers. The ELRC has made available an amount R95million to provide bursaries for about 10 000 teachers. The Department of Education through financial support from the Netherlands Government made available an amount of R23 million to ensure that the programmes are developed and are of quality, and to provide bursaries for teachers from the nodal districts.
Currently about 13 000 teachers have registered for the National Professional Diploma in Education [NPDE] to obtain the minimum qualification status of REQV 13. The number of educators registered by province in different institutions is shown in the table.

Table 6: NPDE Service Providers and educators registered per province -2002
 

 
Plans are also underway to ensure that all the remaining un/under qualified teachers are provided with financial support to enroll with Higher Education Institutions between 2003-2005.

The sheer scope and scale of this programme, School Effectiveness and Educator Professionalism, is making slow progress through the professional and physical neglect of our past and through the lack of knowledge, experience and commitment that still exists in the education sector.

2.3.2.2 Infrastructure Development

A new reporting model from the Department of Education on infrastructure is being developed and this will give us the first clear and comparative picture on infrastructure needs in the provinces. At present reporting methods differ, but despite intensive efforts the backlogs remain enormous. The following tables indicate the current situation.








Table 7: Number of schools with classroom shortages and the number of classrooms required and number of schools built since 2000

(1) Source: Information extracted from the 2000 School Register of Needs

The figure provided by Limpopo Province under "number of classrooms built since 2000" includes 798 classrooms planned for the year 2002/03. On average 35% of schools have classroom shortages and the net change in the provision of classrooms required from 2000 is only 13%.

Table 8: Number of schools with water by province since 2000

Source: Information extracted from the 2000 School Register of Needs

As figures were not supplied by Limpopo, the overall actual improvement could not be calculated. Figures from Gauteng, North West and Western Cape show a reduction in the number of schools with water from 2000 to 2002 and must surely be erroneous. It would appear that the number of schools with water (19331) in 2000 has increased by 240 schools. This miniscule improvement is a serious indictment of an inability to meet basic needs of our learners and educators.

Table 9: Number of schools without toilets by province in 2000 and 2002

Source: Information extracted from the 2000 School Register of Needs

There appears to have been a more substantial attempt to provide sanitation in schools, but more funding must be allocated to these basic services.

Figure 3: Graphical representation of expenditure on infrastructure during the year 2001/02



Expenditure figures were presented in the Fifth Report to the President in April 2002. The total expenditure across all provinces in the Fifth Report was 71%. Since then there has been an improvement on expenditure to 84.4% as reflected in Figure 3. This figure may appear low because the record of expenditure is only made was the necessary transfers between the Departments of Education and Public Works have been completed. A comprehensive report on the analysis of progress with the provision of infrastructure will be presented in the next report.

SECTION 3: LITERACY

3.1 Introduction

There continue to be gross disparities regarding access to education. Poor people, of whom the overwhelming majority are rural Africans, continue to attend decrepit schools, too often without water or sanitation, electricity or telephone.

The importance of literacy cannot be overemphasised. There is a direct link between functional literacy and poverty alleviation. Unfortunately in South Africa, ABET has tended to be marginalized.

A priority in the Implementation Plan for Tirisano 2000-2004 is "Breaking the back of illiteracy amongst adults and youth in five years". Two projects are intended to meet this priority. These are:
National literacy campaign and
System development

In the Implementation Plan for Tirisano 2001-2002 the programme is increased to seven projects. This increase is due to dividing the second priority of system development into a more manageable set of activities. Most of the provincial reports reported on their activities with regard to the national literacy campaign and nodal points. Although circumstances are not identical, the provincial reports do indicate that major strides have been taken to deal with literacy.

3.2 Provincial responses

Eastern Cape

In terms of the South African National Literacy Initiative (SANLI), project plans are in the process of finalisation. Provision has been made in the budget for SANLI. As a policy for quality assurance, persons with an ABET background with a one year certificate will be allowed to offer 2 Literacy Units. A person with a three year diploma in ABET will be allowed to offer 3 Literacy Units. All other people will be able to offer one. The Eastern Cape has developed an interim reporting structure and is in the process of developing a permanent structure to fit into national guidelines.

A baseline study has been conducted in the nodal points by the HSRC. Graduates from the South African Graduates Development Association (SAGDA) in the province were trained and sent to do a survey at nodal points. However the Eastern Cape Department is expecting, from the national Department of Education, Publicity Material, samples of Learner Packs and Educator Packs as well as the appointment of a Project Co-ordinator and Project Assistants.



Gauteng

The Gauteng Department of Education has advertised for a consultant to drive the ABET agency. The appointment of a service provider is expected soon. Due to funding and programmatic problems, the literacy programme has not taken off. However, the coordination of the ABET examinations was successfully achieved by the department. Adult learners could enter the national examinations in order to obtain credits towards a General and Education Training Certificate (GETC). However only 43,3% pass rate was obtained in the examinations. The ABET programme has reached a point where there is a need to expand access to formal ABET programmes.

Limpopo

With regards to Literacy in the Limpopo Province the main aim is to reduce illiteracy through the mobilization of societal support. The province has conducted feasibility studies in the nodal areas, and centres were identified for the implementation of the programme. However, development of data on a year to year basis for SANLI programmes is inadequate due to lack of proper systems and structures to support implementation. The province aims to integrate the SANLI programme with the ABET programme to ensure sustainability and the future placement of learners.

Northern Cape

In the mobilization of learners the Northern Cape Education Department set itself a target of 11 900 to be reached by 2004. In accordance with the South African National Literacy Initiative (SANLI), the ABET unit of the department set itself a target of 1 100 learners per year from 2002. Already all the structures are set up and the implementation plan has been drawn.

North West

In the North West Province, Adult Basic Education and Training encompasses the General Education and Training and the Further Education and Training phases, as well as skills development for employment purposes. The North West Department of Education commissioned Technikon South Africa to conduct extensive research into ABET. A detailed audit has been conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers. External examinations to enhance the quality of teaching in ABET Centres, Adult Basic Education and Training Level 4 examinations were written in the year 2001.

Western Cape

In 2001 the Western Cape Education Department had a substantial number of ABET learners who entered ABET Level 4 examinations. Governing structures of all 114 community learning centres were trained in financial management, curriculum management, marketing, recruitment of staff and the ABET Act.


3.3 Commentary

As the provincial reports indicate, provinces reported on the various aspects of literacy as it affected them. It is instructive to note that policy implementation takes time, but there is convincing evidence that strides are being taken in adult basic education and training. What provincial reports have indicated is that there is a great deal happening in ABET and literacy, but it is not necessarily coherent, consistent or sustained.

Prominent amongst the provincial reports is the need to ensure the quality of the ABET level 4 examinations. It is heartening to see that some provinces have a high number of learners who have written the ABET level 4 examinations. The number of ABET learners for 1999, 2000 and 2001 are presented in Tables 10 – 13 and in Figures 4 – 6

Table 10: 1999 - Total number of learners by ABET Levels in 1999

Table 12: 2001 - Total number of learners by ABET Levels (Excluding Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo)

It can be noted that there has been an increase in the number of learners in the provinces with the most need. The following graphs indicate a build up of learners in levels four, three and two, with a decline in level one.

Figure 4: Graphical representation of ABET Level 1 learners across provinces








Figure 5: Graphical representation of ABET Level 2 learners across provinces







Figure 6: Graphical representation of ABET Level 3 learners across provinces






Figure 7: Graphical representation of ABET Level 4 learners across provinces



Figure 8: Graphical representation of the total number of ABET in 1999 - 2001



Despite some progress there are still major problems to be overcome. These are problems of substantial resources which need to be channelled into ABET. As far as SANLI is concerned there is a lack of capacity in some provinces, for example, the Eastern Cape. There is also a disjuncture between national and provincial priorities. It is often found that the two are not aligned.

Currently literacy is defined in South Africa to include all citizens with less than four years of schooling. If one uses combined figures of people over the age of twenty with no schooling and those with a modicum of primary education as illiterate people, the task facing the education system and society in general becomes much clearer. The challenge is then to continue refining strategies and approaches to accomplish the objective. Table 13 shows literacy figures based on the 1996 census and the current abet and SANLI figures.

Table 13: Literacy figures: level of education in the population aged 20 years or more and number and percentage trained

* Source: Population Census, Report N. 03-01-11 (1996)

Altogether 139911 people have been trained in the years from 2000 to 2002, reflecting a literacy improvement rate of 1,8%.














Table 14: Number of SANLI volunteer educators trained through the SANLI-UNISA joint venture.

* Values indicated still to be confirmed

The information in Table 15 is also shown graphically in Figure 9.







Figure 9: Expenditure on ABET by province for the 1998/99 and 2001/02 financial years.


The amounts allocated by province show a consistent increase over the past four financial years. The amounts that have been allocated by provinces during the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 have on the average been less that R50 000.00. Eastern Cape and Gauteng increased their allocations to approximately R100 000.00 from the 2000/01 financial year while the remaining provinces have increased their amounts at differing rates. The national amount represented by the total on Figure 9 shows that an increasing trend on ABET expenditure.

SECTION 4: Further Education and Training (FET)

Introduction

The priority relevant to FET in the Implementation Plan for Tirisano 2000-2004 is: "We must create a vibrant further education and training system to equip youth and adults to meet the social and economic needs of the 21^st century". Four projects are mentioned to meet the priority. They are:
Restructuring of the further education and training and the higher education systems;
Capacity building;
Quality enhancement and;
Private education institutions.

However, in the Implementation Plan for Tirisano 2001-2002, the projects are prioritised in a more focussed way. They are:

Improvement in Learner Attainment in Mathematics and Science;
Curriculum and Qualifications and;
Talent Identification and Development.

It is these three projects which most provincial reports use to indicate movement in the FET sector. However, the programme has not been adequately budgeted for, although some move towards raising funds from overseas donors has borne fruit. This programme poses complex processes because of the important and varied demands that must be met and the wide range of matters to be taken into consideration to ensure that learners are prepared to meet the current and future social and economic demands of the country. Constraints include continuity, time, resources and personnel to be re-skilled, and re-trained.

4.2 Provincial responses

Eastern Cape

Provincial plans and institutional plans for mergers have been developed and are being implemented. On 3 October 2001 all technical colleges were declared as public FET colleges. Twenty five colleges have been merged into eight colleges and interim administrators have been appointed for three months.

In terms of quality management systems on assessment and examinations, all papers set by examiners are handed directly to one person, and examiners are not allowed to keep any copies. Papers are sent to internal moderators by hand, or registered mail, and they return to examinations through the same route. Everybody working with examination papers must have signed a confidentiality form.

Information Technology and Certification is run by the Examinations section which is assisted by highly experienced consultants. Certain sensitive functions are only restricted to the top management. Random auditing of the data is done regularly.

The data capturing in all districts is closely monitored centrally and the user-id and passwords of the districts’ capturers are controlled centrally at Provincial Office Examinations. The Red Alert Security company monitors an alarm system to ensure examinations security. A closed circuit television is used to monitor the printing section, packing section, capturing and the reception area.

Monitoring teams make sure that rules and regulations are adhered to. Monitoring tools which make sure that invigilators and students follow the regulations are used. Daily reports are communicated to all offices.

Gauteng

The Gauteng Department of Education has begun the reorganisation of the FET sector. Thirty two technical colleges have been merged into eight new Further Education and Training Institutions (FETI's). As part of the reorganisation, FET sectors at school are being aligned to FET sectors at colleges. The department has managed merger plans and has established permanent Councils for FET colleges. Regulatory measures for the appointment of councils, academic boards and Learner Representative Councils have been published in Notice 629 of 2002 in the Provincial Gazette. The department has started the process of ensuring that issues related to governance, management, human resource provisioning and general support be guided by the new FET legislation.

In terms of capacity building, three learnership pilot programmes were institutionalised. Institutions involved in the pilot project have been workshopped on issues and processes regarding Learnerships. The Department has planned to train district personnel to provide support to FETI’s and the department has also planned to retrain and orientate FET educators and examiners to the new FET curriculum in collaboration with business, NGOs and Higher Education Institutions.

Gauteng has a provincial strategy to provide a framework for the coordination and alignment of all provincial initiatives in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (MSTE). A joint project management team has been set up with the Gauteng Institute for Curriculum Development (GICD) and the Science Education Centre to manage the provincial MSTE strategy. Schools are encouraged to improve enrolment, especially of the African girl child.

For purposes of quality enhancement and assurance the FET sector will be governed by GENFETQA, whose role will be to see to it that providers are accredited under FET Act.

A special talent identification programme is in place as far as sport is concerned. Where learners exhibit talent in music they are sent for specialised training.


Limpopo

The main strategic objectives in the Limpopo with reference to Further Education and Training are:
Restructuring of the FET and HE sectors;
Implementation of the framework for the incorporation of colleges into the HE sector;
Implementation of policy on the restructuring of FET institution, that is, both colleges and FET schools;
Facilitate the merger process of the declared FET institutes in the province;
The declared colleges of education were incorporated into the two local universities, that is, University of the North and University of Venda as per the time frames by the Minister;

Training was provided for FET institutes staff on the restructuring of the institutes. A number of consultative workshops were held attended by key stakeholders, that is, learners, educators and governance people.

The merger process was completed and guided by a policy framework developed by the national department of education. Lack of capacity to interpret policy guidelines in terms of the incorporation process resulted in delays and the creation of problems in the handing over of assets, pipeline students resources between the universities and the provincial department. Poor communication between national and provinces compromised the incorporation process. Poor communication in relation to policy guidelines and intentions to restructure by the affected managers of the institutes resulted in unnecessary creations of tensions, tears and uncertainties.

Time constraints, which made the process too hurried, resulted in poor identification of the institutes to be merged. The lack of capacity of the provincial official to guide the process of the restructuring of the FET sector exacerbated the problem. More capacity building for governing bodies, managers, learners and educators to deal with the restructuring aspects of the institutes is required.

Northern Cape

In terms of improvement of Learner Attainment in Mathematics and Science, the Northern Cape has a number of projects funded by different organisations such as the Zenex Pump Project, which target previously disadvantaged schools in Mathematics and Science as well as Technology. The projects cover learning support materials, enhanced classroom practice and improved results at matric level.

With respect to curriculum and qualifications, the Northern Cape Education Department held a three day workshop in January 2002 to analyse matric results as well as developing strategies to improve performance in all grade 12 subjects. A workshop took place between 12 and 14 of April 2002 to empower under-performing subjects. The finalised Curriculum Framework Document has been circulated to schools in the province. In terms of talent identification and development, the Northern Cape Province has the Dinaledi 102 school project. The project has identified four schools whose principals, mathematics and science teachers have already undergone training. For the past two years, all higher grade Maths and Science learners as well as Standard Grade learners who scored above 70% have involved in a special intervention project carried out by highly competent Maths and Science specialists.

North West

In terms of the Further Education Act, the six former technical colleges in the North West have been transformed into Further Education and Training FET colleges. This process is seen as important in that it will make colleges accessible, offering relevant curricula and responding to the needs of the immediate communities. It is envisaged that these colleges will offer education to distant rural areas through satellite centres.

The Western Cape

The process of developing an FET landscape, qualification and curriculum structure has begun. All the technical colleges in the Western Cape are state-aided. This has been an advantage to the institutions in their development as in most other provinces this transition did not take place. In March 1997 the WCED approved a strategic plan for the development of technical colleges in the Western Cape. This plan identified two key priorities for the technical college sector namely the streamlining of institutions and the strengthening of programmes offered by these institutions. The existing 13 technical colleges will be consolidated into six Further Education and Training Institutions (FETIs). These FETIs will operate on more than 34 sites strategically located across the Western Cape. The streamlining process has received the endorsement of Provincial Cabinet and all role players have been consulted over a four-year period.

The streamlining and strengthening of the technical colleges requires a number of legal steps. The notice of intention to declare colleges FETIs was published in the press on 3 October 2001. This notice indicated that the 13 colleges would be declared FETIs from January 2002. The notice to declare the 13 technical colleges FETIs was published on 20 February 2002 and the notice of intention to merge was published in the last week of February 2002. After the 90 day period the colleges were declared merged. The necessary management and governance capacity for the FETIs and appropriate programmes for the various FETIs are being developed.

4.3 Commentary

Improvement of Learner attainment in Mathematics and Science

The Department of Education has introduced a number of initiatives for the improvement of Learner Attainment In Mathematics and Science one of which is financing learners to study Mathematics and Science teaching at university level. There is commitment to a system that is able to identify good learners to go to tertiary institutions to further their studies. This is done through talent identification and bursaries.

About 300 teachers per province are enrolled with Higher Education Institutions for the Advanced Certificate in Education. The purpose of the project is to build competent teachers in the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology at the Foundation, Intermediate and Senior Phases. The first cohort of 150 teachers per province will graduate in April 2003 and the second cohort in April 2004.

The Department of Education is implementing the Mathematics and Science Project for intermediate and senior phase educators. Overall the project aims to improve educators’ skills bases in content and pedagogic aspects in mathematics and science. The project has been conceptualized over three to five years, funded annually through a conditional grant.

The Mathematics and Science Project of the Teacher Development Directorate is located within the broad departmental agenda on mathematics and science. It has come at a time when two important strategies are charting the way forward for development and empowerment. First, it is the Human Resource Development (HRD) Strategy announced by the President in February 2002. Through this strategy explicit development of the human capital is provided "with a solid educational foundation for social participation", and also empowerment "…to develop relevant and marketable skills at further and higher educational levels".

The Second is the National Strategy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education launched by the Department of Education on 25 June 2001. The strategy has come to recognize mathematics, science and technology as three critical areas that "have come to dominate expectations regarding what counts as successful schooling and a preparation for socio-economic life and further study". Within this strategy three specific thrusts are focused for development. These are:
To raise participation and performance by historically disadvantaged learners in senior Certificate mathematics and physical science.
To provide high quality mathematics, science and technology education for all learners taking the first General Education and Training Certificate and Further Education and Training Certificate.
To increase and enhance the human resource capacity to deliver quality mathematics, science and technology education.

While the project is to be understood within the context of the latter strategy, and aims at all the three thrusts, it particularly focuses on the third thrust: increasing and enhancing the human resource capacity. The numbers of teachers currently on the programme are captured in the following table.






Table 16: Record of students registered by institution in 2001 and 2002

On average there are 300 students per province. However, this is but a point of reference, given that recruitment levels in 2001 were lower than anticipated in most provinces. For example GP had 108 and WC 116. The 2002 recruitment improved quite substantially in order to make up for the 2001 shortfalls.

This Further Education and Training programme exhibits how provinces are struggling to confront the challenges of developing and maintaining a co-ordinated, flexible and responsive FET sector of high quality education. However, a heartening factor in the FET sector is the consolidation of colleges from over 150 to only 50. This consolidation was done in partnership with the Business Trust. This consolidation will ensure that colleges are able to meet the human resource needs of the country.


4.3.2 Restructuring of FET institutions

The FET programme spans the schooling system from grade 10 to grade 12, and it also includes the technical colleges. Within the FET sector, the restructuring of colleges is well underway, to ensure that colleges provide education and training that meets the needs of the communities they serve. As evident in the provincial reports, part of this restructuring is to rationalise FET programmes, eliminating duplication and ensuring that education and training are linked to labour market needs and NQF standards.

The need for management training of people assigned or promoted to lead these FET institutions is recognised, and progress in regard to the status of management in these institutions is indicated in Table 17.





Table 17: Progress with the restructuring of FET institutions

As yet no posts for the position of principal have been filled in the merged institutions. The status of the appointment of Principals as at 6 August 2002 was:

Three of the nine provinces have advertised posts (Free State, Gauteng, and North West).
As from 7 July 2002 Gauteng Province has conducted interviews for the appointment of principals. A dispute has been declared by the unions, based on apparent contravention of the processes agreed to in PSBC Resolution 4 of 2002.
Northern Cape and Limpopo provinces have indicated a downscaling of their principal posts to Deputy Director level.
Mpumalanga, Free State and North West provinces have indicated their intention to complete appointments by 1 October 2002 at Director Level.
Western Cape has indicated the intention to complete their appointments by 1 March 2003.

It appears that provinces require support with the management of the process of the mergers as well as financial resources for the process. In addition, provinces are experiencing serious problems to secure resources for this budget year of 2002/2003. A specific problem is the creation and funding of posts for the new institutions.

Table 18 gives an indication of the level of funding required for the post of proncipal in the different provinces.

Table 18: Funding of the principals posts in the merged FET institutions

In addition to the principals’ posts, a further 157 posts are required. The details by province are given in Table 19.

Table 19: Funding of posts for the Senior Management Layer

Currently these posts are reserved for external advertisement as part of the Labour Resolution No 4 of 2002. The strategy will be to include these in the staff establishment norms for this budget year and to open these posts for possible absorption of the remaining Principals and Deputy Principals who will be held additional to the establishment until a suitable position is found for them. Such absorption will be subject to a clearly defined process and captured in a second Labour Resolution which will deal with all staff affected by the process of Declaration and/or Merger. This will also lower the additional costs to budget for in the next financial year.

Further Education and Training must serve the often conflicting purposes of preparation for higher education, preparation for work, and education for personal and social development. Schools, traditionally, have been oriented to academic approaches and higher education, colleges to vocational programmes and the workplace. However, given the number of FET learners in schools, vocational education needs to be extended into the school curriculum. The FET curriculum must also build on and be continuous with the GETC and developments in Curriculum 2005 as well as a gateway to employment and higher education. The reports from the provinces indicate that future FET learners are to be prepared not only for further academic paths but also orientated into vocational fields. All these streams are catered for in the currently review of the NQF, in which the three streams are catered for.

In the Gauteng province, a plan is in place to pilot learnerships, that is introducing workplace training within FET curricula. As part of ensuring that FET education is accessible to all, the move by the North West Department to have satellite colleges is in progress. Community colleges are an important means of providing educational opportunities to many that have formerly been disadvantaged, and developing skills that will benefit their communities. The message from the provincial reports is that Further Education and Training (FET), conceptually, administratively and politically, is more complex than general education and training.

Whether provinces will be able to concentrate sufficiently on the development of FETIs is a moot point at present. Provinces are awaiting the draft FET National Curriculum Statement, due for release on 14 September 2002, before making major moves in respect of values in FET in schools.

Programme 5: Organisational Effectiveness of the National and Provincial Departments

5.1 Introduction

The priority in the Implementation Plan for Tirisano 2000 –2004 is:

"We must make our provincial systems work by making co-operative governance work," and four complex projects are indicated to meet the priority. These are:
Integrated planning and budgeting processes
Monitoring, evaluation and accountability
Systems development and co-ordination
Organisational re-structuring and human resource development strategy.

In the Implementation Plan for Tirisano 2001 –2002 this programme concentrated on the improvement in service delivery of learner support materials and salary and leave credits. This approach is based on a deliverable which is a high profile and of public interest, but which is mainly operational and lacks the complexity of the other projects. Some provinces have reported on the four complex issues, while others have responded only in terms of learnerning support material.

The initial objective in Project 1: Integrated planning and budgeting processes is to develop mechanisms for integrating national and provincial plans and alignment of budgets. This is not possible given the budgeting process in the country; but a great deal of work has been done in supporting provinces to ensure that 3 year rolling plans and MTEF budgets are integrated, and of monitoring provincial budgets and expenditure.

Co-ordination of the planning and budgeting processes occurs at two levels – at provincial and national level. Processes at provincial level are contained in the individual provincial reports. At national level these processes are co-ordinated through three structures; the HEDCOM Standing Committee for Finance, the 4X4 Committee between representatives of the national and provincial departments of education, provincial treasuries and National Treasury and thirdly through the Joint Minmec between the national and provincial departments of education on the one hand and national and provincial treasuries on the other.

Capacity building has been done in six provinces on strategic planning in respect of conditional grants, while strategic planning has been facilitated in Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. Expenditure control has also been piloted via Vulindlela in KwaZulu-Natal.

The output of employing financial management analysts has not been achieved.

Project 2: Monitoring, evaluation and accountability

The project includes the development of performance indicators. However these have not been finalised. What has been done is the development of checklists for managers at various levels on overall management and corporate services, and these have been workshopped in 5 provinces. Impact assessments on systemic performance have not been done and there is a need for simple monitoring and evaluation models to be produced. A perspective that is emerging is that the Department of Education should monitor to give feedback to the provinces as well as assessing the progress that is made.

Project 3: Systems development and co-ordination

The project aims to achieve integrated and functional administrative and management systems. Although formal audits of provincial administrative and management systems have not been done, a large amount of interaction has led to a good awareness of provincial problems. Support has been given to 6 provinces regarding the clearing of backlogs in financial management, human resources and logistical management that were congesting systems. Internal rationalization of policies, processes and procedures and the development of practical manuals has also assisted 6 provinces. Co-ordination at national level with the Department of Public Service and Administration [DPSA] has led to that department introducing education contexts into their training.

Project 4: Organisational restructuring and human resource development strategy

The objective of developing appropriate organisational and human resource capacities has been pursued with some important successes. A skills audit has been done in three provinces for office-based staff, training has taken place in seven provinces, while operational practical training of persons to officiate at disciplinary hearings has been done in all provincial education departments. Reviews of provincial organisational structures, the writing of appropriate delegations and capacity building to manage and administer systems have been accomplished. A task of reviewing and strengthening DAS training is underway.

The Department established a special directorate to assist provinces in meeting the Tirisano objectives in this programme. During the 2001/2002 financial year 13 projects were completed, with 22 being continued in the current financial year. Of these, 5 are active in the Eastern Cape, 4 in the Free State, 6 in KwaZulu-Natal, 3 in Mpungalanga and 4 in North West

Provincial reports reveal an overlapping of the four Tirisano projects, and measures have been taken to edit responses.

5.2 Provincial responses

5.2.1 Project 1: Integrated planning and budgeting processes

Eastern Cape

The strategic plan is informed by the vision of the national Department of Education and provincial priorities as pronounced by the Premier [aligned with the President’s priorities] and that of the Member of the Executive Council for Education. The strategy is also informed by the socio-economic environment, supply and demand for the service or product that prevails from the provincial to the district level.

Integrated planning and the budget process are initially guided by the framework agreements taken at the Provincial Budget Indibano. Here most of the input will centre on the provincial priorities as highlighted by the Premier. Departments will structure their strategic plans to focus on the national priorities for education but within a provincial context.

The first part of the integrated planning starts in the social needs cluster where agreements on co-operative programmes are conceptualised and subsequently shared, costed and integrated into the strategic plan. Strategic planning is aligned with the budget and resource capabilities, at the same time weighing up the benefits of the outcomes in terms of the opportunity cost of the decision.

The business excellence model serves as a key model for achieving organizational effectiveness by focusing the department on its outputs. This management philosophy encourages all staff members to examine the potential outputs of their proposed objectives in five ways. All planning must be output orientated and the effects of an output are carefully scrutinized according to six criteria questions. A number of quantitative management planning tools supports the planning and budgeting process.

Included in the integrated planning process is a series of written plans per chief directorate. These plans are interrogated by the MEC and senior officials during listening sessions. The written plans are reviewed for soundness and are then captured into a projected management computerized system and evaluated against resource and capabilities restraints within the context of national and provincial policy and the six criteria for outputs.

Gauteng

As a result of the new financial branch created in the department, capacity has been developed for the effective management of the department’s budget. Already, the branch has begun to impact on the management and utilization of the department’s budget and expenditure. The department improved its financial control in appointing all senior managers as programme and responsibility managers, and holding them accountable. This has led to greater financial management and control in the various line functions. A Matlotlo Council has been established for monthly budget performance reviews.

Internal control systems have been established in all offices, although staffing is still a problem for the full implementation of the control systems. The Shared Services Centre in Gauteng will review all control systems and address shortcomings. An audit of all contracts entered into by the department has been commissioned.

The PriceWaterhouseCoopers Consortium facilitated the business risk identification and control-mapping project for the department in 2000. The risks facing the department were identified by departmental officials and then ranked in terms of their significance to the department. The required controls to mitigate the identified risks were also identified in a control-mapping workshop. The internal audit team will rollout a three-year audit work plan based on the risk assessment report. The department is in the process of developing policies, systems and procedures to address the identified risks.

Gobodo Inc. was appointed by Gauteng Provincial Government to develop the fraud prevention plans of departments. The draft fraud prevention plan was finalized and implemented with effect from 30 June 2001. It includes an awareness strategy, the department’s policies, procedures, rules, regulations and other prescripts (including the PFMA and supporting Treasury Regulations) and disciplinary code and procedure, amongst others.

North West

The commitment to Curriculum 2005 and Outcomes Based Education, which is the core of education transformation, is consolidated through the budgetary allocation. This includes educator training and support as well as the provision of LSM.

5.2.2 Project 2: Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability

Eastern Cape

Liaison with other departments, including the Office of the Premier is good. During the year under review, significant improvements were achieved to eliminate outstanding payments to educators. 85% of payment transactions that were "awaiting authorizations" for more than six months have been made. New financial management systems will significantly prevent this situation from recurring.

The quarterly performance management system linked to the operational and subsequently the strategic plan has led to a significant improvement in service delivery, and a sense of urgency in getting services to schools, educators and learners.

Support from the national PASD programme helped to improve management thinking, operational design, and the workflow of documents. These included constructive input in the areas of Human Resource Management, leave records, training in disciplinary procedure, stock taking, procedures manual development and district development.

At present, a number of transformation plans are being drafted for each directorate in the department. All systems and work methods of the directorate will be re-engineered to remove the silo method of working and to ensure optimal workflow with well-defined turnaround time standards.

Gauteng

The Matlotlo Council has reviewed monthly expenditures and projections as planned for the year. Under expenditure identified in school maintenance, funds were dealt with by releasing the funds to the schools as ring-fenced allocations.

The department has made progress in the implementation of the PFMA. However the system is still not geared towards providing information for disclosure purposes such as wasteful, irregular and fruitless expenditures. The weekly cash flow is operational. Manual systems are still relied on because BAS is not yet able to supply creditors’ information due to the cash system still in use.

Debt collection is still a problem due to the lack of a debtors’ system, which provides an age analysis. The asset register is still not finalized. All audit queries up to the year ending March 2001 have been attended to in terms of the required responses to SCOPA. The Auditor General has written a letter to the SCOPA in this respect.

5.3.3 Project 3: Systems development and co-ordination

Gauteng

The department is still making progress in the implementation of the PFMA. However the system is still not geared towards providing information for disclosure purposes. The department is still to reconcile Persal and BAS systems and to collect debt where overpayments were made to employees.

The weekly cash flow system became fully operational but problems are still encountered with procurement reports. Ideally, procurement reports should be received timeously and help support officers in managing their budgets, cash flows and expenditure analysis. The department has also set out to develop an asset register, which should become operational by mid-2002.

The department has set up systems for the review and firming up of delegations of authority. And the process for reviewing the implementation thereof will take place soon.

North West

In order to effectively address the findings of the Auditor General’s Report adequate systems to ensure financial prudence and integrity need to be developed and implemented.

5.3.4 Project 4: Organisational restructuring and human resource development strategy

Eastern Cape

The department has reviewed its entire operations and method of doing business. It was recognized that there were serious shortcomings. Many of these are generic to public sector management in general. The development resolved to set new standards, work methods and systems. The department also rolled out a decentralized organogram, which already is improving service delivery, although its management systems are in a primordial phase of development. The department re-engineered its entire operation and effected the following changes:

The department is output focused on its core business, which is defined by one anchor programme running through all programmes, namely, "Whole school and Total Learner Development." The entire administrative section is now being steered to focus on learners, educators and their needs.
In order to achieve six core criteria, the organization structure needed significant re-alignment with the outputs expected and the former weaknesses that were identified. A new organogram was signed into effect on 15 January 2002.
A major reshuffle of senior management (directorates to chief directorate) was made to give effect to job rotation and new challenges for Senior Management Service (SMS) employees.
All activities will be conducted under one roof when the department moves to its revamped headquarters, the Education Park.
A survey has been completed with regards to the skills of all administrators and a skills development plan per person per function is being prepared at present.
A new state of the art LSM and Payment processing centre was opened in January 2002, and the Honourable Minister, Prof. Kader Asmal, officiated at the ribbon cutting ceremony. He considered that this model and system could be replicated across all provincial governments, as it is presently being integrated into a school asset management and LSM procurement system and ultimately a text book control retrieval system.
A decentralized administrative configuration of the districts was put in place. This involved the decommissioning of the six regional offices and forty-one district offices. In its place the department established twenty-four new district offices and delegated authority to them to render services at district level. This shortened the response and processing time on everyday management and educational issues.
Following the usual advertisement for the post of district managers, the department established an assessment centre, and subjected the interviewees to a battery of tests based upon a competency profile developed by DPSA. This external testing and evaluation process resulted in the selection, appointment and induction of four new district managers.

A concerted effort is being made to improve the Human Resource and Finance inter-operability links and the work force planning and control centre serves as that vehicle.

Gauteng

Skills and Resources – The department is adequately resourced and has the required facilities, technology and funds to achieve programme priorities. The competence of personnel requires great development and is the major challenge of the department. A skills development plan has been developed in line with the HRD strategic framework of the Gauteng Province

Structure – The department has completed its restructuring during 2001/2. The restructuring was brought about by major changes in the statutory mandates for education. Further reorganization is however inevitable in view of the establishment of the Gauteng Shared Services Centre.
Systems and processes – as a result of re-structuring, a number of systems and processes have been re-engineered and are slowly being institutionalized. The change over from FMS to BAS has proved to be a challenge especially as a number of professional and administrative functions have been delegated to district level. Management structures at all levels, including governance at schools, are functional. The IT capacity of the department in this regard requires urgent review. The Gauteng Online Project promises to revolutionise teaching and learning, business processes and communication.

Shared values – The department has over a period of time developed a dynamic drive to redress the imbalances of the past and to ensure equity in the provision of education in Gauteng. A charter of values has also been developed to enhance corporate synergy and cohesion.

Staff – The department has a very good level of representativity in offices. Lagging behind however are the institutions. The level of experience is negatively impacted on by the high level of attrition especially at middle management level. The department has a development plan to address the issues related to succession planning.

Strategy – The department has detailed strategy and policy for the allocation of resources based on poverty and need. Both schools and districts are funded through redress mechanisms. The School Effectiveness Improvement Strategy for curriculum delivery provides a platform from which all change initiatives directed at schools will be launched.

Style or Symbolic Behaviour – The department values integrity, loyalty, honesty and performance. This is being built into a proposed performance recognition scheme for all personnel and institutions. Individuals, groups and institutions will be recognized for their performance and the promotion of the values of the department.

North West

Following the approval of the new macro structure of the department, posts have been opened and this re-structuring will further allow service delivery to be taken closer to our schools through a process of decentralization and devolution of powers. It will be necessary for managers to take decisions on the spot and therefore reduce the cumbersome bureaucratic red-tape that is characteristic of a centralized system.

The alignment of regions into the provincial demarcation will further strengthen the co-operation between education and sister departments.

In order to increase productivity and to enhance service delivery the department embarked on a skills audit of all 1449 office-based employees. Such an audit is also mandatory in terms of the Skills Development Act in order to establish current competencies and to identify individual training gaps. As a result of the audit, the department has been able to develop a comprehensive Workplace Skills Plan to inform the training and capacity building of all employees, including school-based educators.

The Workplace Skills Plan will be linked to the Employment Equity Plan of the department. Employment equity is seen as one of the pillars for the transforming of the South African socio-economic landscape. It is a vital strategy to ensure that there is systematic redress of past injustices in employment.

In efforts to improve management and administration capacity, a tender has been awarded to a consortium to update the personnel information records [PERSAL]. Work is due for completion in mid-year. One of the results will be the establishment of an accurate database on personnel. It will also enhance the capacity to implement a de-centralised service delivery system as part of the regionalisation process.


Annual Interventions on LSM Procurement, Delivery and Retrieval

As indicated above, this project is specific to the Implementation Plan for Tirisano 2001 – 2002 and is the only project on that plan. Certain provinces reported according to this plan and others did not.

Free State

The system for the procurement of learning support material [LSM] has been largely computerized in order to speed up the ordering and dispatch of these materials.

The Auxiliary Services Directorate has installed the LOGIS system that also assists in the speedy procurement of materials ordered. Support staff, at provincial and district level, have been trained in the use of this system. Administrative staff in schools have also been trained on the procurement system and procedures.

For the 2001/2002 financial year 99,8% of text books ordered for Grade 5 and Grade 9 were received and distributed to schools. The balance is attributed to re-prints. 85% of textbooks ordered for other grades have been delivered to departmental warehouses. Again re-prints form the balance.

All stationery ordered was received and delivered to schools. The packing of textbooks and stationery at the warehouses is a partnership project between Education and Welfare and provides work opportunities for disadvantaged people.

Limpopo

LSM was procured and distributed to schools during the period 2000 – 2002.

Year Budget Grades
2000: R138,165m 4,7,12
2001: R175m 4,8,12
2002: R285m R,1,2,5,9,12
Total: R598m

There were insufficient funds for providing LMS to all grades.

A policy on the retrieval of text and prescribed books from learners has been developed. Agreements between SGB and parents have been sent to schools to be completed by parents when books are issued and a quarterly recording of books issued will be instituted. Tenders have been advertised and closed on 26 and 28 June 2002. The awarding of tenders will be finalised by August 2002.

Northern Cape

The department commences learner support procurement during the previous year for the next. Regular monthly meetings are held between various suppliers, publishers and district offices. These meetings are conducted at head office by making use of video conferencing.

Initially, workshops are held between head office and district office personnel whereby the guidelines as contained in a circular are thoroughly dealt with. The basic procurement procedures are laid down to be followed by both Section 21 and Non-Section 21 schools. The management plan to be followed highlights each step through the process.

It can be mentioned that a 100% delivery rate was achieved for stationery at the end of 2001. The department has also achieved a 91% delivery rate for text- and reading books. The balance of the non-delivery involves re-prints. This delivery was for Grades 5 and 9 and "top ups" for other grades.

This department is also striving to effect a sound material retrieval rate, which has also been included in the guideline circular to schools. The national Auditor-General’s Office conducted a performance audit during the third school term of 2001 with an initial investigation at head office regarding the procurement, delivery and procedures processes, then the district offices and certain schools were visited. The report indicated an average retrieval rate of 70% of LSM at the various schools.

The new process has commenced for 2003 and schools need to concentrate on the procurement of Grade 6 materials. Grade 10 material was supposed to have been supplied for next year, but as it is apparently still in draft form, the process has been postponed.

The majority of schools have the Section 21 function to procure LSM, but the department has called for tenders to supply and deliver LSM to the 6% of schools that are non-Section 21. The awarding of tenders will promote job creation.

Book catalogues and a circular on procurement procedures have been distributed to schools, and most orders have been received. A final delivery date is 31 October 2002. Schools must also submit reports by 6 December 2002 on the retrieval of LSM.


5.3 Commentary

5.3.1 General observations

A great deal of support has been given to provincial departments in respect of this programme. Special mention could be made of the PASD which has done sterling work in trying to turn provincial administrations into effective units. The weakness of administrations in a number of provincial departments and the extent of the backlogs they face and their lack of capacity to offer good support service must be emphasised. Although many backlogs have been removed, such as the manual upgrading of 40000 leave files in Eastern Cape, the residue is still enormous, and these records have still to be computerised. Added to these historic problems is instability in provincial leadership, the slow filling of posts, almost continual restructuring and a serious lack of commitment among groups of officials. It could be noted that Limpopo has just had its head office organisational structure approved, with local office structures to follow; Eastern Cape had a new structure approved in January 2002; and KwaZulu-Natal had a structure approved in July 2000, but a moratorium on the filling of posts followed and new consultants are still working towards a new structure.

Although formal monitoring has not been done, the weakness of the control environment in many provinces is obvious to onlookers. The supervisory role is avoided in many instances and some supervisors indicate that they cannot carry out their supervisory functions because of death threats. This lack of commitment needs specific attention.

These serious deficiencies are not being improved through the new public service strategies and policies which imply a movement from administration to management. The basics need to be firmly in place before more sophisticated approaches can succeed. In certain provinces, such as KwaZulu-Natal, consultants appointed by PASD have carried out task analyses and each function has been broken down into actions, with corresponding workbooks having been completed for all positions. Although much training has been done and officials have been certified, it is still noted that their tasks are not carried out efficiently. Commitment is lacking and poor control environments exist, as already mentioned. Very good checks and balances are useless if control systems fail. An example that could be indicated is that the rejection rate of input data into the Vulindlela system is about 60% despite training.

It would appear that certified officials in provinces should be charged when they fail to perform their functions. Some major intervention is required to improve administration.

Another serious issue is the understaffing of administration branches. For example, Limpopo, North West and KwaZulu-Natal indicate vacancies of about 40%. Logistics sections seem to be particularly poorly staffed. A model is required to enable the Department of Education to audit capacity.

The understaffing and lack of financial skills in finance departments of most provincial
education departments led to support through conditional grants.

Table 20: Conditional Grants For Financial Management And Quality Enhancement