Report for:

Report for:

PORTFOLIO COMMTTEE ON EDUCATION

FINANCES:

Income for the financial year 2004/5 amounted to approx R11m. This was made up mainly of educator levies @ R2 per month per educator. The surplus of R772 281 was due mainly to postponement of structural meetings because of delay in appointment of new Council. (Refer page 26 of annual report for outgoing Councillors and annexure for new set of Councillors). Note that the new Council’s terms of office goes up till July 2009. About half of the staff costs of R6m (approx) include legal expertise required for code of conduct activities, data capturers and processors for registration and research capacity for professional development. The other half is mainly for admin back up. Almost R2m of the R3m (approx) indicated for "Administrative costs" are related to meeting expenses.

For the quarter ended June 2005 the income amounted to R2 727 898 and expenditure R2 532 775 .

For the past financial year and for the past two quarters the expenditure has been contained within the projected budgets. The Finance Committee of SACE, the Internal Audit Committee, the Internal Auditors and the External Auditors have confirmed SACE’s compliance within budget, PFMA and Treasury regulations and requirements.

2, SERVICE DELIVERY:

SACE’s three (3) main areas of delivery (as per it mandates in the SACE Act of 2000) are registration of educators, professional development and ethics.

In the past year, 10 264 educators were registered, of which 3 132 were provisionally registered. By the end of the past financial year 464 959 were registered (of which approx 18 000 were provisional).

In its quest to promote professional development, SACE engaged in various activities, partnership, and research activities. The professional development portfolio (PDP) and policy formulation around the role of SACE in continuous professional teacher development (CPDT) were salient. Memoranda of understanding (MOU’s) were entered into for partnerships that benefit educators professionally (see P32). A list of interactions is at page 06 and 15 onwards.

SACE processed 60 complaints against educators for the year under review. Three educators were struck off the role (one suspended) and others were issued lesser sanctions. One case came under the spotlight where it was alleged that SACE "slapped an educator on the wrist for raping a thirteen year girl". Council looked into this matter and its findings are in the Annexure. The Council has also workshopped, networked, and trained in order to contribute to an ethical climate in school. Presently the Council is attending to requests from the Ministry to conduct more workshops on the ethics of the profession (e.g. in respect of corporal punishment) and to scrutinize the exam fraud debate.

To enhance delivery. The Chief Executive Officers manages a 24 hr help line (012-6630419) and a SACE complaints/suggestion box. SACE is pleased to announce that lifts and facilities have been installed to assist physically challenged visitors to the SACE/ELRC building. Our gratitude goes to the chair of the PC, Prof Mayatula for raising this issue when the PC visited Council in 2003.

SACE has delivered satisfactorily on its mandates.

The levy increase has been delayed. Once a levy increase has been secured (say from R2 to R4), the Council will be in a position to deliver optimally. Presently it is constrained and considers priorities.

In particularly SACE advocacy, outreach, research and promotion of organized professional development have been compromised.

3. STRUCTURE:

The Council (of 30 persons) is supported by the executive, audit, professional development, registration and disciplinary committees. These are statutory committees. The other committees are Finance, staffing and advocacy. The structures of SACE are serviced by a staff of 25 persons, headed by the Chief Executive Officer, The CEO is assisted by a director for administration and four other managers for finance, Professional Development, registration and legal affairs and ethics. The gender and equity profiles are more than satisfactory as indicated on page 29 the annual report. Staff are sponsored development and training on a regular basis.

FINANCE:

Spending is in line with projected budget and strategic priorities as indicated earlier.

SACE is in full compliance with respect to asset management practices, the supply chain management system and the preferential procurement policy framework. (overseen by Audit Committee, Finance Committee, Internal and External Auditors).

Contracts and Memoranda of understanding signed with service providers and partners e.g. IT back up, office equipment etc.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:

All staff have access to computers and are being skilled to higher levels. The SACE register is electronically managed as well as data pertaining to professional development activities and legal and ethical cases.

However the external auditors emphasized a correction that needs to take place. (See page 39 and 50). SACE’s revenue is determined presently on a cash receipt basis rather than an accrual basis. This means that at any given point SACE cannot pin- point which educators have paid and which are in arrears. SACE has to embark on a major project to align its revenue collection to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The revamping of SACE’s register to a dynamic data base is a priority. This revamp must cater for revenue accruals as well as provide information that will inform supply and demand of teachers and development needs of teachers.

WAY FORWARD (2005/6):

SACE register update including verification and completion of register,
Advocacy and outreach regarding ethics in the profession and processing of priority cases.
Professional development portfolio and initiatives to ensure all educators are able to track their professional growth in an organized way.
Systematising professional development of educators to ensure: that providers and programmes are evaluated; suitable programmes and activities are advocated; and that educators achievements are recognized, recorded and rewarded.
SACE undertakes specialized research to inform Council around professionalism policy issues so that proposals/advice be taken forward to the Ministry and/or other relevant structures e.g. ELRC, ETDP Seta, SAQA, unions, CHE, Departments etc. SACE to move from reaction to pro-action in respect of educator policy unions.
Medium to long term objectives are spelt on pages 11,12,18,19 and 3.

REJ BRIJRAJ (CEO:SACE)(0824532971)

10-10-2005