Report
of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation on the oversight visit to
the
SECTION A:
ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES WITH KEY EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS
The Select Committee on Education
and Recreation, having undertaken an oversight visit to the
1. Introduction
A delegation of the Select Committee
on Education and Recreation conducted an oversight visit as follows:
On Tuesday, 16 August 2011 the
delegation visited the region of
Education Leadership Institute –
Meeting with members of the provincial legislature and officials of the
national Department of Basic Education, the Ministerial task team on
intervention, teacher unions and the school governing body association.
This visit followed after a meeting
between the Select Committee, members of the provincial legislature and unions
and other relevant stakeholders on the intervention tabled by the Minister of
Basic Education on the National Council of Provinces in terms of section 100
(1)(b). The Committee also interacted with the MEC for Education in the
On Wednesday, 17 and 18 August 2011,
the delegation visited the region of King Williamstown, in the Uthukela District,
Eastern Cape. The Committee held meetings as follows:
i.
Mzontsundu Senior Secondary School - Meeting with
relevant stakeholders, educators, the school governing body and provincial and
national Department of Basic Education officials.
ii. Mgcawezulu Secondary
School – Meeting with relevant stakeholders, educators, the school governing
body and provincial and national department of Basic Education officials.
iii. Nomandla
Senior Primary School – Meeting with relevant stakeholders, educators, the
school governing body, parents and provincial and national Department of Basic
Education officials.
iv. Sompa Senior
Primary School – Meeting with relevant stakeholders, educators, the school
governing body, parents and provincial and national Department of Basic
Education officials.
In the
spirit of co-operative governance the Committee had invited officials from the
Ministry and Department of Basic Education to form part of the overall
delegation on the oversight visit.
The purpose
of the oversight visit was to solicit views on all the relevant stakeholders,
specifically teacher unions, task team and the Eastern Cape Department of
Education and Basic Education on what led to the intervention and the impact of
the intervention on teaching and learning. The visit formed part of the
Committee’s oversight responsibility to monitor and support progress in the
implementation of education priorities, more specifically the expectation
pronounced during the 2010 State of the Nation Address, for both learners and
educators to be in school, in class, on time, learning and teaching seven hours
a day. The Committee also aimed to assess the impact the intervention had in
terms of the level of delivery of learner and teacher support material (LTSM), provision
of school nutrition programme, provision of infrastructure, including water and
sanitation and scholar transport.
This report provides a summary of
the key issues that emerged from the interaction with stakeholders, officials
of the national department, provincial departments as well as the committee’s
deliberations, observations and recommendations.
2. Delegation
Select
Committee on Education and Recreation: Hon M W Makgate, MP (ANC –
Parliamentary
Staff: Mr M Dlanga (Committee Secretary: Select Committee on Education and
Recreation); Dr H Baloyi (Committee Researcher); Ms C Adams (Committee
Assistant) and Mr J J Brynard, Content
Advisor, office of the Chief Whip, NCOP.
Eastern
Cape Provincial Legislature: Mr M Mrara, MPL (Chairperson); Mr M
M Peter, MPL; Ms K Fihlani, MPL; Ms J Bici, MPL; Ms P T Mpushe, MPL and Mr M
Mkosi (Researcher).
Eastern
Cape: Hon M Makupula, MEC for Education, Eastern Cape; Adv M Maanya, Head of
Department, Department of Education, Eastern Cape; Mr T Moniwa; Mr Z Tom; Mr F
Sokutu and Mr A M Mkentane.
Teacher
Unions: Ms F Loliwe (Sadtu); Mr CM Ndlazi (Sadtu); Mr H P Greef (SAOU) and Mr A Adams (NAPTOSA).
National
Department of Basic Education: Mr S Mlambo and Ms N Msimanga.
3. Briefing
by the MEC and Department for Education, at the Education Leadership Institute
in
3.1
Overview and
welcoming by Hon M Makupula, MEC for Education
The MEC welcomed the delegation of
the NCOP to the province. He indicated that the visit by the Select Committee
should be understood in the context of co-operative governance. He indicated that the role of the task team
needed to be clarified. The challenges at the Eastern Cape Education Department
can not be limited to administration. It was further reported that the Ministerial
task team which also consisted of MECs had only met once. This was the
structure that was appointed by the President of the Republic. The MEC wished
the Committee success during its fact finding mission in the province and
indicated that the visit by the NCOP Select Committee should be viewed in the
context of trying to find amicable solutions to the challenges faced by the
Education Department in the
3.2
Briefing by
Adv M Maanya: Head of Department, Department of Education,
Adv Maanya drew the Committee’s
attention to the challenges faced in the Department as follows:
The department had administrative
and service delivery problems since the advent of democracy seventeen years
ago. These problems arose as a result of various fundamental problems mainly
associated with the amalgamation of the various administrations, which today
constitute the department. During the same period the department either
received disclaimers or adverse audit opinions from the Auditor General.
Although various initiatives were taken over the intervention period to address
these issues, the lack of effective management appears to have reversed every
single gain that was made.
Following various interventions in
preceding years, in August 2009, the Executive Council approved the initial
turnaround strategy as part of a process to define and address the challenges
facing the departments of Education and Health and to restore public trust in
the system. This included a comprehensive situational analysis and the adoption
of the intervention model. The situation analysis set out proposed medium-term
interventions required to address the ongoing challenges in these departments.
At the opening of the schools in
January 2011, the Department faced challenges in four key areas, namely; the
termination of temporary educators, delivery of the stationery to section 20
schools, the suspension of the scholar transport programme and the problems of
the implementation of the school nutrition programme. The causes of the
problems are set out hereunder:
3.2.1 Temporary Educators – the Department of Education was
required in terms of the 2010 financial turn around plan to terminate the
services of temporary educators on the 31st December 2010. The termination
was part of addressing identified inefficiencies and aimed at addressing the
cost pressure on the personnel component of the budget which was overspending.
It is required in terms of the South African Schools Act, that the MEC declares
posts for institutions every year. Once the MEC had made such declarations, the
Head of Department was required to distribute such posts to schools. The
distribution of posts entailed the allocation of posts to the various schools
taking into account various factors. The Department appointed temporary
teachers from January 2010 after the declaration of posts for the 2010 post
establishment. The Department declared 69390 posts for the 2010 academic year
but could not secure a budget to fund all these posts.
3.2.2 School
Nutrition Programme – The school nutrition programme was funded through a
conditional grant and targets learners in Quintile 1 to 3 for both primary and
secondary schools. As it was funded through a conditional grant, it was
required that a business plan be submitted for the funding and the programme was
implemented according to the business plan. As at January 2010, the model of
implementation was the goods and services approach in terms whereof supplies
were appointed. This posed a number of challenges including widespread fraud
and corruption, poor quality of food, non-adherence to feeding menu and
standards and in certain instances no feeding took place. The last tender
process for the programme was done in 2008 where after the contracts were
extended for two years. After consideration of these factors and various
complaints and the decision of the EXCO, it was decided to change the model to
transfer payments. This entailed transferring funds to schools for the schools
to fully manage the programme. This was approved by the national department and
due to delays, the programme was finally implemented from March 2011. Reports
indicate that the change of model had been successful despite major resistance
from suppliers and certain members of staff.
3.2.3 Scholar transport – as at December 2010, an
estimated 110 000 learners were said to be transported. By August 2010, the
budget for this programme was already exhausted. However learners continued to
be transported resulting in high levels of accruals. The programme, like the
school nutrition programme became vulnerable to abuse, fraud and corruption. A decision
was taken to identify funds to continue with the programme until the end of the
financial year. Funds could not be found and as a result the programme had to
be suspended. However an exemption was granted to learners on farms who
continued to be transported. A process was initiated to verify routes and the
number of learners to be transported. A new system was introduced for the
application of learners to be transported. This had resulted in the verified
number of learners being 53 000. The Executive Council had by that time taken a
decision to transfer the programme to the Department of Transport. The
programme had by then been transferred to the Department of Transport. The
Department of Transport would be responsible for the physical transportation of
learners and coordinate all matters relating to the physical transportation,
including but not limited to verify safety issues, contracting and managing
suppliers. It was reported that the Education Department would remain
responsible for determining requirements and coordinating all activities
relating to managing the participation of schools in the programme.
3.2.4 Stationery for Section 20 Schools - in the 2011 academic year, the stationery for
section 20 schools was delivered late owing to the failure of the Department to
finalise the stationery tender on time. This resulted in the stationery tender
having to be cancelled and culminated in a litigation which further delayed the
process. Stationery had at that stage been delivered to all schools.
3.3 Impact and implications of the
implementation of Section 100(1) (b)
A number of public announcements
were made and the intervention together with the said announcements received
extensive media coverage. It was further reported that the greater bulk of the
media coverage was negative and had the effect of creating a great deal of
confusion in the minds of public and staff of the Department including staff at
all levels.
An announcement was made to senior
management and at a press conference that the powers of the Head of Department
were taken away and that created a number of administrative and management
problems. Following these announcements, certain senior managers did not
cooperate with various processes which were under way prior to the intervention.
These included amongst others: lower levels of cooperation with the Auditor
General, including non-attendance of Audit Meetings; the department was unable
to submit its Annual Report to the Auditor General on time as the responsible
manager believed he no longer had to report and account to the head of
department and despite repeated requests he refused to submit the report; certain
staff members saw an opportunity to take advantage of the intervention to
escape the disciplinary processes which were under way long before the
intervention. It was further noted that a practice emerged where certain staff wrote
directly to the Minister contrary to the disciplinary code and procedure. A
number of disciplinary hearings were delayed as the affected employees wrote to
the Minister seeking her decision to set aside the disciplinary hearings.
The Leader of the intervention team
committed the Department to a projected expenditure of R 702 million by entering
into a settlement agreement with litigants regarding the filling of posts
without the requisite authority.
The intervention team had made
public statements on behalf of the Department without any reference to the
Department, including on matters falling outside the scope of the intervention.
A number of meetings were convened by the intervention team, issuing various
instructions to staff including at school level without any reference to either
the Head of Department or MEC. This caused confusion particularly amongst
schools.
Despite the DBE having sought to
specify the terms of the intervention, it appeared that the intention was
basically to take over the entire administration of the Department.
The current state of confusion
occasioned by the manner of implementation undermines various key activities of
the plans approved by the Executive Council prior to the intervention and might
lead to a collapse of the system.
4. Briefing by Mr M Mweli: Coordinator
Task Team
Mr Mweli indicated that there were
two parts to the implementation of section 100 1 (b). The first part dealt with
the stabilization and normalization of the academic year through the
restoration of collapsed critical service delivery area in the following areas:
i.
Allocation and appointment of teachers to all schools
and classes;
ii. Supply of
stationery and textbooks particularly to non section 21 schools;
iii. Implementation
of the National School Nutrition Programme to all learners who qualified;
iv. Provision of
learner transport services to all learners who are deserving;
v.
Deal with all mud, unsafe and inappropriate school
buildings.
The second part dealt with
uncovering the underlying causes of the historic challenges experienced with service
delivery in the Eastern Cape Education Department (ECED). In this regard the
approach was diagnostic for purposes of ensuring that the intervention was
systemic and sustainable. This would then lead to short and medium to long term
plans.
Strategic diagnostic overview of the
challenges facing the Department include amongst others: matric pass rate,
numeracy and literacy scores, systematic and whole schools evaluation, Southern
and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality, Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) and Progress in
International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).
4.1 Teachers on prolonged sick leave: The recent
reports indicate that there were 144 teachers on prolonged sick leave. The cost
implications of these teachers who were on prolonged sick leave were approximately
R34, 437,000. One teacher was found to
have been on sick leave for five (5) years and the cost thereof was over R2 million.
The cost of the salaries for temporary teachers who replaced these teachers
plus the already stated cost of salaries of the sick teachers would double the
figure.
4.2
Inflated learner numbers: The learner verification exercise undertaken
towards the end of the 2010 academic year in independent schools revealed that,
in 25 schools there were variations which were greater than 50 learners per
school. One school submitted an enrolment of 702 learners and it had only six
learners. This gave a variance of 696 learners which translated to an annual
saving of approximately R1, 949,045. Therefore a culture of monitoring and
accountability needed to be restored.
4.3
Strategic leadership vacuum: There was a high turnover of
political and administrative leadership. There was non-compliance and lack of
implementation of key decisions. There was a general lack of strategic
capability and leadership as well as inadequate planning, monitoring and
evaluation.
4.4
Audit profile of the Department: The audit profile of the Department
had not improved for many years. Regularity audit had come out as either
adverse or disclaimer audit opinion. There was also a pervasive weak internal
control environment and non-compliance with rules, regulations and policies.
4.5
Early Childhood Development: The policy obliges the Department
to provide for Grade R which should only be attached to Primary Schools. For
0-4 year old, the Department was expected to provide stimulation programmes and
training to Early Childhood Development practitioners. In the
4.6
Organizational culture: There was a culture of entitlement as opposed
to hard work. There were very few officials that were committed to values of
excellence and integrity. There was a general culture of lawlessness and no
respect for authorities to an extent that some firm managers were targeted and
driven out of their offices.
4.7Organizational
structure: the current organizational structure was poorly
conceived and designed. The structure did not engender strong principles of
support to schools. It had revealed duplication and conflicting roles within
and between line functions.
5.
Briefing by
Ms F Loliwe: SADTU Provincial Secretary
Ms Loliwe highlighted the following:
A number of meetings took place with
unions and the Department of Education. One of the challenges was due to the
lack of proper implementation of the scholar transport, school nutrition
programme, unpaid pensioners and vacancies in the Department.
The union embarked on a strike and
the memorandum was submitted to the Premier, the legislature and the Department
of Education. The biggest challenge had been the issue of termination of
contracts for temporary teachers. The union supported all the efforts to take
the Department to court.
On 03 March 2011, Minister tabled a
notice of intervention. SADTU requested a memorandum of understanding for the
intervention. The Minister indicated that the intervention was meant to
strengthen the Department.
SADTU supported the intervention,
however the union was not happy with the implementation of section 100 (1) (b)
of the Constitution. The union would have preferred the implementation of
section 100 (1) (a) of the Constitution. The union had a meeting with the
Minister on 06 June 2011 where the Minister delegated certain powers between
the HOD and the Leader of the Task Team.
The union had concerns about the
interventions: The union was of the view that the interests of learners had not
been prioritized. There was an urgent need for better conditions for teachers.
There must be clarity on the implementation of section 100(1) (b) of the
Constitution.
There had not been any progress with
regard to the implementation of the intervention. The intervention must be
complemented with programmes of the Department of Education in the Province.
The South African Democratic
Teachers Union was appealing to the Department of Basic Education and the Task
Team on Intervention not to sideline the union in this process.
6.
Briefing by
Mr H P Greeff: SAOU Provincial Executive
Member
Mr H P Greeff highlighted the
following:
The intervention had been reduced
into a power struggle between the HOD and the Leader of the Task Team. The
National Department of Basic Education had a meeting on 05 August 2011. The HOD
and MEC of the Province did not attend.
A number of senior officials in the Department
of Education were on suspension and this haa a negative impact on service
delivery. The SAOU was of the view that the intervention had not been
successful. Approximately 120 section 20 schools were still to receive their
allocated funds. The union was further calling for the clarity on the role of
the HOD and the Leader of the Task Team as this had been a grey area since the
intervention began.
7.
Briefing by
Mr A Adams: NAPTOSA Executive Officer
Mr A Adams highlighted the
following:
The union supported the intervention;
however the union was concerned with the following issues: unpaid salaries of
pensioners, temporary teachers that had not received salaries for six months,
no capacity at the district offices and the schools were falling apart. Mr
Adams was of the view that the quintile system must be revised.
8.
Briefing by
Mr R S Edkins: FEDSAS Deputy Provincial
Manager
Mr Edkins highlighted the following:
The Department of Education in the
Province and the National Department must ensure that filling of vacant posts was
not disrupted during the implementation of the intervention. The association
supported the implementation of section 100 (1) (b) of the Constitution.
9. Stakeholder Meeting at the
The meeting was officially opened by
Hon M W Makgate, Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education and
Recreation. The purpose of the meeting was to ascertain the challenges faced by
the schools in King Williamstown and the surrounding areas particularly on the
impact of the intervention on issues that relate to employment of temporary
teachers; key to which was the provision of school infrastructure, water and
sanitation, the availability of scholar transport and the delivery of learner
support material.
10. Challenges
The following were the challenges
that were raised by the principals of various
Schools in the King Williams town
area:
i.
The school lacked adequate infrastructure such as
buildings, science laboratories, libraries and computer laboratories. Some classrooms
had visible cracks, which posed a danger to both learners and educators.
ii. Teacher
union meetings and the workshops that were convened during working hours clashed
with the time for teaching and learning.
iii. The funds
allocated to schools were received late. This disrupted the planning programmes
of the schools.
iv. The School Nutrition
Programme had resumed in June 2011 after it was suspended at the beginning of
the year due to corrupt activities.
v.
The status of access roads that linked schools and the
communities were in a neglected state. This caused learner absenteeism during the
rainy season. The school did not benefit from the scholar transport programme.
vi. There was
insufficient non-teaching staff such as clerks and administrators. Educators were
sometimes performing administrative duties which jeopardized their teaching
time.
vii. The schools
did not have access to the basic necessities such as clean water and proper
ablution facilities. The infrastructure projects were sometimes abandoned
without being completed due to alleged corruption in the tendering process.
viii. The
furniture provided to schools was substandard, breaking within months of being procured
by the schools.
ix. Although
some schools had received learner support materials, it transpired that learner
support material was delivered late.
11. Responses to the challenges
Members of Parliament, and Officials
from the provincial and National Department of Basic Education deliberated on
the engagement with the stakeholders and responded as follows:
11.1 Schools Nutrition Programme: Although
the programme was suspended in January, it was reported that the school was
currently running the programme since beginning of June 2011. One of the
classrooms had been converted into a kitchen.
11.2 Scholar Transport: The school
did not benefit from this programme. Learners walked long distances to and from
school. The school had been applying for this programme since 2007. Some
learners walked approximately 17 and 24 kilometers to get to school. This led
to learners being victims of rape. The scholar transport policy specified the
criteria taking into consideration the age of learners.
11.3 Substandard school Furniture: The school
had old furniture. Even though there was enough furniture, the school would
appreciate getting new furniture.
11.4
Temporary Teachers: The school was affected when the contracts for
temporary teachers were terminated. After the department was ordered to retain
the temporary teachers, only those that had their contracts were reinstated. The
Department of Education could not fill any vacancies due to the fact that there
was a memorandum indicating that there shouldn’t be any filling of vacancies.
11.5
Discipline: There was a general lack of discipline amongst learners.
There was also lack of parental involvement. This was linked to the poor
academic performance and high failure rate. The school had started to implement
corrective measures to address the situation. One of the measures was whereby
the principal conducted classroom visits to observe if teaching and learning was
taking place and also to monitor attendance.
11.6
Learner Teacher Support Material: The school received textbooks on
time. There was a challenge with regard to the stationery as the specific
tender was cancelled. The Department was taken to court and the court process
delayed the delivery of the stationery. The process to distribute stationery
resumed again in May and June 2011. By the end of July the process of
distributing stationery had already been completed.
11.7
Vandalism in schools: Communities had a responsibility of looking after
their schools. This responsibility included looking after the infrastructure of
the schools and ensuring that schools were not vandalised.
11.8Curriculum: The District
only implemented the curriculum and did not have the power to change it. The District
would further strengthen the training of teachers on the curriculum. The Department
had acknowledged that there were challenges with regard to the understanding of
the curriculum by educators in some schools. Curriculum Advisors were sent to support
schools. The Minister had issued a statement on re-packaging the curriculum and
the Department was in the process of preparing Intermediate Phase teachers for
the implementation of the curriculum in 2012.
12. Engagement at Mgcawezulu Senior
Secondary, Zwelitsha
This school was
situated in the small
12.1.1 School Nutrition Programme: The
programme resumed in June 2011. Since that day there had not been any
challenges with regard to the implementation of this programme. Learners were
fed on time.
12.1.2 Learner Teacher Support Material: Learners
benefited from the programme. The learner support material including textbooks
were delivered to the school. The schools purchases textbooks direct from the
bookshops. This was aimed at preventing delays that school experiences when
material had to be delivered. The approach of buying direct from bookshops helped
the schools in preparing for the annual assessments. The school used a
catalogue to ensure that the study material was in line with the curriculum.
12.1.3 Scholar Transport: the school
does not benefit from the programme. This specific school was in dire need of
this programme. Learners in this school cross rivers when commuting between the
school and the village.
12.1.4 Discipline: The school
had developed a disciplinary code of conduct. Educators were also required to
adhere to the code of conduct by being in school on time, teaching. The school
management team monitors the implementation of the code of conduct to ensure
that there was discipline. The school governing body was part and parcel of the
stakeholders that are responsible for the implementation of the code of
conduct.
12.2 Challenges
The following were highlighted as
challenges:
i.
There was a lack of proper infrastructure such as a library
and laboratories.
ii. Insufficient
number of classrooms.
iii. No proper
ablution facilities and school shares such facilities with the community.
iv. No proper
fencing and this leads to vandalism.
v.
The moratorium on the employment of temporary teachers
posed a huge challenge.
vi. Some of the
classrooms had leaking roofs.
vii. There was a
general lack of discipline amongst learners.
viii. The area
where the school was located was in an area where there was high crime rate.
ix. Despite the
fact that there were no proper sport facilities, the school had been performing
well in terms of extra mural activities.
x. A number of
learners came from child headed homes. This lack of parental
xi. Involvement had
an impact on their academic performance.
12.3 Responses to the challenges
Members of Parliament, Members of
the Provincial Legislature and Officials from the National Department of Basic
Education deliberated on the engagements and responded as follows:
The district and provincial head
office was aware of the challenges at
It transpired during the meeting
that the responsibility to build schools resided with provinces. The national
department assisted only where there was a need. The funds allocated to schools
had to be used for their intended purposes. The department of education
infrastructure unit can only provide structures and not furniture.
The schools used its allocated
budget to purchase stationery.
The school signed an agreement with
social development and health department. This was aimed at addressing the
challenges of drug abuse by learners. Workshops had also been conducted with
the intention of warning learners on dangers of drug abuse.
The department of education both at
national and provincial level has a responsibility to support educators on both
curriculum and professional development. The provinces have good development
programmes and in most cases the challenge is not on the programme itself but
on the implementation of the programme.
The number of changes in senior
management and political leadership in the past 16 years has not assisted the
development in the province.
The department of education in the
province is working on programmes to establish links with Municipalities and
Public works department with the intention of sharing infrastructure
programmes.
13. Engagement at
This is one of the mud schools that
the department of education was ordered by the Bhisho High Court to fix. A new
temporary structure has been completed. This is part of the agreement between
the department of education and the schools. In terms of the agreement, the
schools were to be given mobile classrooms, water tanks and enough desks. The
purpose of the visit to the school was to inspect and observe the extent of
progress made thus far on the construction of the temporary classrooms, school
nutrition programme, scholar transport and infrastructure.
13.1.2
Leaner Teacher Support Material: the school is a section 21. This is one of the schools that purchases
textbooks direct from the bookshops.
13.1.3
Scholar transport: the school does not need this service. All learners
that attend the schools reside within the jurisdiction of the school. No
reported cases of learners that cross the river or bush to get to school.
13.1.4I
Infrastructure, water and sanitation: the school is relying on water tanks
that have been provided by the O R Tambo District Municipality.
13.2
Challenges
The following were the challenges
that the delegation discovered:
i.
The access road that links the school with the village
was in a bad state making it impossible to get to the school during the rainy
season.
ii. The
construction of the temporary structure is still in progress.
iii. Due to
shortage of classrooms, some classes are combined. At one stage in 2009 the
foundation phase class was accommodated at a community household. This was not
an easy situation to manage.
iv. There is no
parental involvement as some learners don’t submit their home work on time.
v.
The school has access to the first aid kit but no one
has been trained to use the kit.
vi. Learners
struggle to leaner in English as soon as they get to the inter-immediate phase.
vii. There is
high rate of learners dropping –out of school.
viii. There is a
challenge of teenage pregnancy.
ix. There were no
proper ablution facilities.
14 Engagement at
The school
was situated on a hill. It’s difficult to get to the school when it is raining.
This is one of the mud schools that are currently under construction. The
temporary structure is in the process of being completed. The school governing body proposed that the
school be moved from the current location.
14.1.1 Scholar transport: the school
does not need this service. All learners that attend the schools reside within
the jurisdiction of the school. No reported cases of learners that cross the
river or bush to get to school. Although the school did not apply for this
programme in 2010, an amount of money was allocated to the school. The school
used those funds to purchase furniture.
14.1.2 School Nutrition Programme: the school
is benefiting from the programme. The programme resumed in April. This is after
the programme was suspended in January 2011. There is no proper place to
prepare food for learners. Food gets prepared outside the schools premises and
this has a negative impact on teaching and learning.
14.1.3 Infrastructure,
water and sanitation: the school relies on water tanks that have been
provided by the Municipality. The tanks came as part of the temporary
structures that were put in place.
14.1.4 Learner
Teacher Support Material: The leaner support material was delivered on
the 03 June 2011.
14.1.5 Academic
performance: the overall performance of the school is not bad,
however there is a room for improvement.
14.1.6 Scholar
transport: the school does not need this service. All learners
that attend the schools reside within the jurisdiction of the school. No
reported cases of learners that cross the river or bush to get to school.
14.2
Challenges
The school has a challenge of
absenteeism. This occurs during rainy season. Because the school is located on
the hill, it becomes difficult for motor vehicles to get to school.
The workshops for teachers that are
scheduled during school time disrupt teaching and learning.
The clinic is far from the school.
In this case the school informs the parent in cases where a leaner needs to be
visit a clinic. The school provides money for transport.
The school has had instances where
learners are kidnapped through “ukuthwala
custom” (force young girls into marriage).
The delegation was concerned that
although it became clear that challenges may be experienced when the permanent
structure of the buildings is constructed, the issue of relocating the school
to another area is not an option as the community members concurred that the
school can not be relocated.
14.3
Responses to the challenges
Mr Chief Director responsible for
infrastructure programme indicated that the school is one of seven (7) schools
that are on the list of the infrastructure prgramme. The programme of putting
up temporary structures also includes fencing of the schools and providing
water and proper sanitation.
SECTION B: ANALYTICAL REPORT
15. The following are key Findings Emerging
from Engagement with Key Stakeholders and School Observations
15.1.
All key stakeholders support the intervention. However, the
implementation of it appears to be the problematic. In particular, the
stakeholders want the intervention processes to be collaborative.
15.2.
What emerged strongly is that the intervention team is
excluding other key stakeholders including the ECDE itself.
15.3.
Lack of clarification of roles (for different stakeholders)
role players in the intervention
15.4.
Frustration amongst key role players such as the Portfolio
Committee, Auditor General and other stakeholders, which impacts negatively on
the intervention process.
15.5.
There was a need to ensure that the review of the
quintile system that is in process eliminates inconsistencies in the current
classification of schools.
15.6.
There was a need to strengthen intergovernmental
relations in order to facilitate effective service delivery particularly in
services that cut across jurisdictional boundaries. This included the need for
schools to improve relations with municipalities and make inputs on their
Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in order to ensure that municipal services
are provided to schools.
15.7.
There is a need to ensure that outstanding learner
support material, including workbooks are delivered to schools as a matter of urgency
in order to facilitate effective learning and teaching. In future the
department should ensure that all learner support material is delivered before
the reopening of schools.
15.8.
The Department should monitor schools to ensure that
they use allocated funds for intended purposes.
15.9.
The Department of Education at provincial, national,
district and circuit level needs to improve relations and communications with
schools to ensure that teaching and learning takes place with fewer
disruptions.
15.10.
There is an urgent need for the PC on education in the
province to be brought on board in terms of the intervention processes and
decisions that are unfolding. The chairperson of the PC on provincial education
was just not happy about the way the processes is unfolding because the
committee is not consulted on these issues, including the signed intervention
MoU
15.11.
The National DBE should ensure as a matter of urgency that
there is consultation cooperation and collaboration throughout the intervention
process
15.12.
There is also a serious need for key stakeholders to be
consulted on the processes and decisions of the intervention. The PC on
Education in the province is seriously offended by the fact that the Minister
does not consult it on intervention matters.
15.13.
The problem of scholar transport around King Williams Town
district is still continuing. It is therefore very urgent for the Intervention
Task Team to address the situation.
15.14.
Section 21 schools seem to be better off in terms of
procurement processes and LTSM. It would therefore be advisable or recommended
for the Department of Basic Education to look into the possibility of moving
Section 20 schools to Section 21.
15.15.
The infrastructure situation in the
15.16.
Lack of trust between the PC/ECDE and the head of the
intervention task team, e.g. the chairperson of the PC said: “we cannot give
our money to a stranger” referring to the head of task team.
15.17.
The main cause of the problem to the smooth running of the
intervention is the tug-of -war between the head of the task team and the HOD.
15.18.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Cabinet (EXCO) is fed-up with
the instability within the province particularly with regard to the
intervention to an extent that it took a resolution that the intervention task
team must leave the province until a political decision has been taken on the
intervention.
15.19.
Poor monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning
processes or visibility at school by education officials.
16. Recommendations
Having
been briefed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and having conducted an
oversight visit to the Eastern Cape (EC) and interacting with various role
players and stakeholders, including the Eastern Cape MEC for Education; the
Chairperson and Members of the provincial Portfolio Committee of education; the
HOD and officials of the EC Department of Education (ECDE); the Convener of the
intervention Task Team; officials of the EC Department of Roads and Public
Works; various education teacher unions as well as principles, educators,
representatives of learners, parents and members of school governing bodies of
certain schools in Bhisho and in Libode in the Eastern Cape, the Select
Committee on Education and Recreation recommends as follows:
16.1)
That the National Council of Provinces
supports and approves the intervention by the Department of Basic Education in
the Eastern Cape Department of Education in terms of Section 100(1)(b) of the
Constitution;
16.2)
That the intervention be conducted in the
spirit of cooperative governance with the Eastern Cape Province remaining the
key pillar of service provision and without displacing the provincial sphere of
government and with a collaborative approach to provide support and direction
to the provincial department of education and to bring about a sustainable
turnaround and to ensure efficient and effective delivery of educational
services in the province;
16.3)
That the affairs of the provincial
department of education be investigated as a matter of urgency to establish
whether any provisions of the Public Finance Management Act or any other
legislation have been contravened and also that allegations of fraud,
corruption and mal-administration in the department likewise be investigated
urgently and that appropriate action and steps be taken against any
perpetrators swiftly;
16.4)
That the Department of Basic Education in
collaboration with the ECDE provide the Council with:
(a) a
comprehensive problem analysis which also sets out the root causes of the
challenges; (b) the final intervention plan, indicating the corrective measures
taken or to be taken to address the challenges;
(b) details
of the functions and/or responsibilities that have been assumed or taken over
and by whom it was assumed or taken over, as well as details of all delegations
of powers, functions or duties and to whom it was delegated;
(c) A
comprehensive report within 14 days on the progress since the intervention
began and thereafter provides the Council with quarterly reports on the
progress from time to time;
(d) an
audit of all backlogs in respect of proper school infrastructure and facilities
or a lack thereof as well as a comprehensive programme with timeframes to
eradicate same, including the eradication of mud schools, and thereafter
provide the Council with quarterly reports on the progress in eradicating such
backlogs or the lack of infrastructure or facilities from time to time;
216.5) That
Council reviews the intervention regularly and make further recommendations to
the national executive if and when necessary.
Appreciation
The delegation, led by Ms M W
Makgate MP, thanked the Members of the Provincial Legislatures, Provincial
Departments of Education and the National Department of Basic Education for the
support given during the oversight visit.
Report to be considered.