Minister's radical plans for the classroom

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Cape Town – A legislative review to make schooling compulsory for children between the ages of five and 15 years is on the cards.

Briefing journalists ahead of her department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Wednesday, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said this was one of several education interventions she would announce as her department chalks its plans on the board for all to see.

The department, which tops the country’s main priorities, gets the lion’s share from the national purse, with the aim of transforming the country’s economy with quality and effective education.

“In respect of Early Childhood Development, the National Development Plan (NDP) underlines the need for access for all children to have at least two years of pre-school education.

“The ANC, in its manifesto, echoes this sentiment of making two years of pre-school education compulsory. Due to success in rolling out ECD programmes, a legislative review to make schooling for young people aged five to 15 years compulsory is on the cards,” she said.

Minister Motshekga said the first ever impact evaluation of Grade R on learning outcomes was conducted in 2013, and the report was presented to Cabinet in March this year.

“In response to the recommendations made, a management plan has been approved to strengthen the quality of implementation and provision of Grade R schooling in our country, especially in relation to teaching,” she said.

The minister also said that the National Curriculum Framework for children under the age of four years would also be rolled out in registered ECD centres from January 2015.

The curriculum was first piloted in September 2014.

“All preparations like practitioner training and supply or resources have already started, and will be completed this calendar year,” said the minister.

Teacher development to take centre stage

Minister Motshekga also said in line with the NDP’s aim to improve results, especially in Maths and Science, teacher development would be one of the major focus areas for the department over the next five years.

This, the minister said, would include ensuring that the conditions of service, teacher recruitment, deployment, utilisation and development would be looked at closely and done appropriately.

“All of us involved in this sector know very well that in order for us to improve the quality of our education outcomes, instruction has to improve and that every child has to succeed, ensuring that no child is being left behind,” she said.

She said, meanwhile, that after recommendations by the President, a Ministerial Task Team on Reading, Maths, Science and Technology has been integrated into the department’s plans.

The minister said a directorate in this regard has been set-up to look at raising the success rate and quality of passes in maths, science and technology.

She also said, following a series of media reports, a Ministerial Task Team has been set up to probe the selling of posts and has been given six months to complete its work. – SAnews.gov.za