The Select Committee on Education and Recreation undertook a Study Tour to the Northern Cape Province between 07 August 2005 and 12 August 2005.

The objective of the study to was to exercise oversight and to get report on issues highlighted below.

EDUCATION

• Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)
• National School Nutrition Programme
• Learners under studying under trees and hazardous conditions
• Water and Sanitation in schools
• Education for learners with Special Education Needs (ELSEN)
• Governance in farm schools (Schools Governing Bodies)
• Programmes on HIV/Aids
• Abuse among learners
• General challenges facing schools

Sport and Recreation,

Programmes for the disabled and disadvantaged,

Rural sport development,

School sports and extra-mural activities for the youth,

Funding policy for sports development.

Availability of Sports facilities

Arts and Culture,

• The committee also visited Heritage Sites so as to help in preserving and declaring sites as national treasures and promoting national pride and identity
• The committee also looked at the ongoing projects especially those that are meant for poverty alleviation
• Community Arts Centers

1.2 DELEGATION:

The delegation was composed of the following members:

Mr. BJ Tolo, Mpumalanga (Leader of the delegation), Mr TS Setona, Free State, Ms D Qikani, Eastern Cape and Mr JO Thlagale, North West.

The following members from Northern Cape Legislature joined the Select Committee: Ms CJ Williams, (Chairperson of PC on Education), Mr R Tsikwe and Mr C de Bier

Support Staff: Ms C Gcasamba, Committee Secretary and Ms N Borotho, Committee Assistant, accompanied the delegation

2.1 BRIEFING BY Hon MEC OF EDUCATION, MR GA LUCAS

The Honorable MEC briefed the committee as follows:

The department of Education held an outreach programme with the Executive, in which all the municipalities were visited.

Issues arising from MECs input requiring further attention during the visit were water, sanitation, school grading (Quintile ranking)

The department has agreed on a Learner Achievement Programme that would enable schools to achieve the expected results.

School funding was cited as a major challenge, such that a buy-in from the private sector in the form sponsorship is being considered

It emerged that there is no significant difference between quintile 1 and 3 schools. The level of poverty is the same.

School Nutrition Programme has been extended to high schools from the internal budget of the department. This has been realized by realigning priorities of the department. Part of the arts and culture budget has been taken to address education and health matters. The challenge is the sustainability of the programme.

The admission policy for the Northern Cape needs a review due to many barriers including language

Guidelines for conduct of School Governing Bodies need an update

2.2 BRIEFING BY THE MEC ON CULTURE AND SPORT, Hon K MOLUSI

The MEC, Hon K Molusi gave an overview on issues relating to arts, culture and sport, as follows:

The department has a budget allocation of R55m for the current financial year. The budget has been cut to attend to health and education matters. There is currently a 47% shortage of staff and R13m is required to close the gap. There is 1 District Manager, 3 Librarians, and 1 Curator. There department also runs a learnership and internship programmes. Currently, the department is preparing for budget Lekgotla.

2.3 BRIEFING BY EDUCATION HEAD OF DEPARTMENT, MR E WILLIAMS

STAFFING AND RESOURCES

Richtersveldt district has nine schools with a total of 71 teachers. Learner enrolment for 2005,stands at 2 354.

The following challenges were highlighted:

• School Governing Body must remunerate additional educators due to lack of funding.
• Realign poverty ranking of schools (Q5 and Q4), the area is poverty-stricken and schools should be falling on quintile 1 and 2.
• Impact of unemployment and migration of workers on staffing
• Housing for educators especially in mining and rural areas
• Transport and conditions of roads
• Recruitment of specialist educators to rural/ remote areas, educators do not like to work in remote or rural areas due to unbecoming conditions
• Managing the moratorium on appointment of Public Service and Administration – employees
• Additional educators for the Language Project – to promote multilingualism, the province needs more educators to cater for vernacular languages

SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES (SGB’s)

All nine schools in the Richtersveldt have functional School Governing Bodies.

The following challenges were highlighted:

• There is a lack of training, members are uncertain about their roles and responsibilities
• Lack of commitment and involvement in some places
• Members are not stable because of frequent resignations
• Lack of transport especially in broader feeder zones
• Lack of funds to supplement Section 21 allocations
• There is no proper way to disseminate information to parents
• Authoritarian principals, they are not consulting and make their own individual decisions

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

In the Richtersveldt district, ECD has 7 primary school sites and 8 Grade R classes. There are 8 ECD officials, that is, five Grade R specialists, 2 Learning Programme Managers, 1 Coordinator (acting)

The ECD Unit provides the following services:

Guidance and support in the implementation of Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) for Grade R-3 educators within the classroom.

Guidance and support to educators and practitioners in terms of the use of learning support toys materials

Meets with SGB’s and committees to discuss relevant matters

Facilitate movement of ECD sites from communities to schools

FOLLOWING CHALLENGES WERE HIGHLIGHTED:

• Shortage of indoor and outdoor appliances that are necessary for the phase
• Shortage of Nama, Xhosa and English educators in the Richtersveldt, the Language of Learning and Teaching is Afrikaans. Learners who belong to those race groups tend to suffer.
• Difficulty that vast distance creates in attending capacity building workshop. (Distances translate into financial pressures)
• Multigrade classes in 3 schools: Johan Hein PS in Kuboes, Elizabeth Wimmer PS in Lekkersing, and Stephen Malherbe PS in Eksteenfontein.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

The inclusive education unit in the Richtersveldt provides the following services:

• Addressing barriers to learning through in classroom support, assessments, treatments and consultations
• Support to physically disabled children
• Provide therapy to learners with emotional difficulties and behavioral problems
• Implementation of institutional Level Support Teams at schools
• Intervention programmers for reading, spelling, writing and mathematics
• Placements at special schools
• Career guidance
• Study motivation
• Teenage pregnancy preventing programme

The Inclusive Education is also involved in other special projects such as:

• Behavior modification sessions
• Leadership camps
• Rural girl learner project (career exposure to positions that have previously been dominated by males)
• School readiness information sessions to parents
• Grade 12-motivation programme
• Entrepreneurship project
• Down syndrome information sessions
• Employee assistance programme (stress management)

The following challenges were highlighted:

• Ensuring optimal staffing within reduced budgets
• Vast distances to be travelled translates to financial constraints
• Lack of assistive devices, the unit need more resources
• Lack of financial support (disability grant) to children that need to be placed at special schools
• Educators are sceptical about the inclusion of learners with severe disabilities in ordinary schools, they think they would hurt other learners
• Suicide attempt by a youth (Alexander Bay HS)
• School drop -outs
• Unemployment increases level of poverty and parents cannot afford some of the requirements of the learners
• Learners suffer because of poverty, which leads to alcoholism and violence
• Parent support is not always available
• Buildings are not accessible for learners with severe physical disabilities

PROGRAMMES ON HIV and AIDS

The unit has one District Coordinator. The programme focuses on life skills workplace policy and peer education. Peer Education aims at empowering of learners through knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enable then to implement policy and life skills.

Schools has a programme called Circle of Care which aims to build a network of support with relevant state departments, Community Based Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations for schools.

The following challenges were highlighted:

• Optimal utilisation of resources (financial or human) in order to ensure success of programmes
• More youth- friendly clinics for Voluntary Counselling and Testing in more remote areas are required
• Availability of Learner Support Material for primary schools and high school- focusing on life skills
• A committed Life Skills Coordinator at schools to coordinate Life Skills as well as HIV and Aids programmes
• Securing other support materials for schools
• More community involvement in programmes, the unit needs launch a campaign
• There is no committed leadership at school level

PRIMARY SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMME

The unit is responsible for monitoring and training in management of PSNP programme and encouraging vegetable garden projects.

The programme is funded for 156 days in primary schools and 105 days for high schools. Per capita allocation for primary schools with more than 200 learners is R1, 00 for 156 days (food) and 15c for 156 days (admin costs). An extra 10c is paid (25c admin. costs), if less than 200 learners. Per capita allocations for all high schools is R1, 00 (food) and 15c (admin cost) for 105 days. Money is paid quarterly (into school bank account) and district office informs schools about deposits

The following challenges were highlighted:

• Salt content of water affects some of the crops
• Poor soil
• Lack of space on school grounds to accommodate food gardens
• Some schools are not fenced and makes it difficult to establish food gardens
• Remuneration of workers is not consistent due to lack of funds
• Care during holidays
• Allocation for smaller schools
• Increase school feeding days per year, the department would like to go beyond 156 days of feeding
• The unit must circulate recipe books amongst schools, which must still be revised
• Funds for administration costs are limited
• Learnerships and workshop in food gardening need to be established
• At times funding for Primary School Nutrition Programme does not come through in time

ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING

There is currently one centre serving two areas, that is, Port Nolloth and Sizamele. The total numbers of enrolled learners is 16 and the age range is between 17 and 54. Learning area include Afrikaans, English, Mathematics, Ancillary Health Care, Travel and Tourism.

The project will be revived in Kuboes, Sanddrift, Lekkersing and Eksteenfontein rural centres.

There following challenges were highlighted:

• The biggest challenge is the dwindling of learners during winter months, learners cannot travel long distances to the centres
• Managing the impact of reduced budget, e.g., educator allocation dropped from 68 to 60.
• Deep rural areas are sparsely populated- difficult to reach ratio 1:20
• Establishing a functioning South African National Literacy (SANLI) operation
• Centres not functioning due to educators leaving the system for permanent positions
• Ensuring educators do not have to wait long periods before getting their salary
• Vast distances and very bad roads
• Accommodating Grade 12 classes (80 learners)
• Shortage of specialised educators
• Establishing a provincial educator: adult learner ratio norm
• The main challenge for project revival is that the educator will receive a R400 stipend per month, contract is in draft form and SANLI project has to be properly set up for implementation

2.4 BRIEFING BY MR HE ESAU, HOD: SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE.

Mr Esau, HOD for Sport, Arts and Culture briefed the committee as follows:

Mass Participation Programme:

A Conditional grant of R2, 640 million for 2005/ 6 financial year has been allocated

There are eleven Hub Coordinators and sixty- five, activity coordinators. One coordinator is for the Richtersveldt district and is stationed in Port Nolloth. A stipend of R1 800 per month is paid to the coordinator. Four activity coordinators for Netball, Soccer, Cricket and Volley Ball receive a stipend of R1 200 per month.

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES

There are fifteen service points in the Namakwa district with an average of

90 000 book circulation per quarter and 20 000 registered member figure

There are 5 mobile service points in Hondeklipbaai, Kamassies, Paushoek, Rooifontein and Soebasrfontein with close to 7 500-book circulations per quarter and average registered membership figure of 900 people

RICHTERSVELD ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECT

This is poverty alleviation through investment in Culture projects

Culture Festival at Port Nolloth is held annually

There is a craft project for the Richtersveldt Communities, including a shop in Steinkopft

A project manager and craft development specialist has been appointed from local community

INTERDEPARTMENTAL COOPERATION

Reference was made to the Framework of Collaboration, which provides for coordination and management of school sport in public ordinary schools that was signed by Minister of Education and Sport and Recreation in March 2005. A joint statement on a framework for collaboration in the Northern Cape has been drafted. Social cluster suggested matters of Arts and Culture in schools to be included in the curriculum. The department proposes the formation of an inter-departmental structure to ensure that the framework is properly implemented and commits to the development of joint programmes every year.

2.5 VISITS TO SCHOOLS

PORT NOLLOTH PRIMARY

This is a former Model C school, which successfully amalgamated with Sizamile primary school in 1995. The school has 568 Learners and 18 educators, including 1 part-time Xhosa teacher. The school nutrition is running very well. Water is sufficient and sanitation is in good condition. The school has started with food garden to augment the nutrition programme. The school has a functional School Governing Body.

The following challenges were highlighted:

• Parents cannot afford school fees and they do not cooperate with the Exemption Policy
• Departmental allocation does not come in time
• More teachers are required, especially for languages
• Learner support material is not sufficient, allocation from the department is too limited
• No scholar transport
• Language policy needs to be reviewed

PORT NOLLOTH HIGH SCHOOL (Former Model C)

There school successfully combined with Atlantis High School in January 2004.

There are 380 learners (Grade 8-12) and 12 educators. School Governing Body is well functioning. For the past four years, the school managed to obtain 100%. There are 52 learners exempted from paying school fees.

The following challenges were highlighted:

• There are no enough classrooms and furniture. The school made a requisition for furniture in 2004 but no response to date. A requisition letter is with the committee. The school is making use of extra five mobile classrooms.
• The language policy needs to be reviewed
• The school is ranked quintile 5, while it belongs to lower quintile rank
• No sport facilities, learners do not participate in sport
• No exemption policy for parents

LEKKERSING PRIMARY SCHOOL

This is a primary school with 57 pupils (grade1-7) and 3 educators. The department pays only one teacher. The school survives from donations.

The following challenges were highlighted:

• The school receives R400 per year, for section 21 functions which is insufficient
• There school has no transport to attend to sporting activities, that affects learner participation in big way.
• Allocation of tenders is not satisfactory; tenders are given to people from outside the town.
• Two educators are employed on contract basis and are not paid in time.

STEPHEN MALHERBE PRIMARY SCHOOL

This is a primary school with 52 learners and two educators. The school has functional School Governing Body and good relation with parents in general. Two churches sponsor the school. The nutrition programme is running very well. Water and sanitation facilities are sufficient.

The following challenges were highlighted:

Insufficient funds for the school, that makes it difficult for the school to function

The school has one sporting code; there are no sport facilities

Shortage of educators, each educator is responsible for at least four classes

2.5 CULTURE AND SPORT SITE VISITS

The committee also visited the following sites:

PORT NOLLOTH MULTI PURPOSE CENTRE

The centre caters for all schools in Port Nolloth. It is meant to promote mass participation. The centre accommodates soccer, volleyball, netball and rugby players. The centre is currently, faced with shortage of equipment. I t is difficult for the coordinators to do their work as there is a shortage of sport facilities and equipment, for example, one soccer ball, for about fifty youths

RICHTERSVELD TENTATIVE WORLD HERITAGE SITE

The Richtersveldt is on South Africa’s official list of World Heritage sites and preparations for listing are currently under way although it is not certain when the listing will take place. The region is both a cultural landscape and unique mountain desert ecosystem owned by the Nama people, the Khoekhoe culture that survives relatively intact. It is the last area where the nomadic herder lifestyle of the Khoekhoe prevails in significant fashion, including construction and use of indigenous portable buildings, seasonal movement with herds and many other traditions that tie the people to the landscape. This harsh area with unpredictable climate is also a centre of plant endemism (evolution of new species) having the highest known diversity of dry ecosystem plant life for any desert of comparable size, 1615 known plant species of which 140 are only found in the Richtersveldt. Preparatory research on the site had been conducted with Norwegian funding and the nomination is being prepared with financial assistance from UNESCO’s world heritage Centre.

EKSTEENFONTEIN MUSEUM

The museum is at Eksteenfontein Museum is a community- based project driven by the youth from the area. Through ECO-Africa and NORAD they were able to raise funds for the restoration of the oldest house in Eksteenfontein and advised them on what would be needed and also on the restoration process. The building has been restored and an information centre has been build. The intention is to move the present information centre to the museum. The museum is also funded some aspects of the development.

The interior has been designed and prepared by Mc Gregor Museum staff for the displays that need to be installed. Material to be displayed is still being collected by the youth. Once they are ready the museum will develop the display material for them and do the installation of it.

The museum received material from the Free State University on oral research done on stock farming recently which we will develop into a display. The museum will also be assisting with the training of the staff in the running of the museum and the conservation of artefacts. Training in other aspects like oral history and research will be given.

KINDERLE MEMORIAL: STEINKOPF

The site known as "Kinderle" is situated on a smallholding that lays 12km from Steinkopf. It consists of a single grave where Nama children were buried. It is a local heritage site and is older than 160 years. The Northern Cape South African Heritage Resource Agency attended the unveiling ceremony of the "Kinderle" memorial, which took place on 30 June 2003.

RICHTERSVELD FESTIVAL AND CRAFTS PROJECT

This project is funded by the National Department of Arts and Culture though the Northern Cape Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. This project runs an annual cultural festival at Port Nolloth and a craft project for the Richtersveldt communities, including a shop and studio at its base in Steinkopf. A project manager and a Craft Development Specialist, drawn from the local community, work with crafts people and performers in the towns and villages of the Richtersveldt to raise standards of performance and develop new craft products and improve quality of craft production.

THE " MUSIEKKAMER"- STEINKOPF

This is a Non-Profit Organisation established on 02 September 2003 and is dependent on donations and grants for its maintenance. Training is done in phases to reach a broader audience. Children from disadvantaged communities, who are interested in music but cannot afford to pay, receive free tuition. Regular monthly meetings with parents are held to discuss the progress of students.

The aims of this organisation are as follows:

• To provide music lessons to children in particular
• To develop musical talent in an attempt to keep children from the streets
• To contribute towards the promotion of culture in general, but music in particular

2.6 MEETING WITH BOTH DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION AND, CULTURE AND SPORT

On the last day of the visit, the committee met with both departments to brief them on the findings and issues that required immediate attention. The following recommendations were made:

There is a need for the department to urgently revisit the quintile grading of schools as some schools feel they are given high grades while they are poor. This will affect them negatively when government funds schools in accordance with quintiles.

More educators are required in almost all the schools in the Richtersveldt district to avoid multi-grading in classes and to allow young children, e.g., Grade R to be taught in their mother tongue

Both the provincial department of Education and Sport and Culture need to appoint permanent staff, as this will create greater stability. (Avoid secondment)

Department of Education in the province need to monitor schools in following the exemption Policy

The department of Sport and Culture need to provide schools with sporting facilities and equipment

The department of Education should work with the district to address problems that relates to the language policy. The department should give guide to schools.

The department of Education should make a follow-up on the furniture order placed by Port Nolloth High School

The department of Education should work on infrastructure backlogs

There should be dynamic contact between schools and the department

Learner Support material is insufficient in schools

Libraries have no books

The department should work on proper marketing of Steinkopf Craft Centre and link with the Tourism department.

CONCLUSION

The committee considered and adopted the report by the Committee on

14 September 2005.

Report to be considered.