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Education
Introduction
The Bill of Rights, contained in the Constitution, 1996, stipulates that everyone
has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education and further
education, which the State, through reasonable measures, must progressively
make available and accessible.
Formal education in South Africa is categorised
according to three levels – General Education
and Training (GET), Further Education and Training
(FET) and Higher Education (HE).
The GET band consists of the Reception Year
(Grade R) and learners up to Grade 9, as well as
an equivalent Adult Basic Education and Training
(Abet) qualification. The FET band consists of
grades 10 to 12 in schools and all education and
training from the National Qualifications Framework
(NQF) levels 2 to 4 (equivalent to grades 10
to 12 in schools), and the N1 to N6 in FET colleges. The HE band consists of a range of degrees, diplomas
and certificates up to and including postdoctoral
degrees. These levels are integrated within
the NQF provided by the South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa) Act, 1995 (Act 58 of 1995) [PDF].
By mid-2007, the South African public-education
system had 12,3 million learners, 387 000
educators, 26 592 schools, 2 278 Abet centres, 50 public FET institutions, 4 800 Early Childhood
Development (ECD) centres and 23 HE institutions. Of the 26 592 schools, 1 000 were independent, 400 were special-needs schools and the remainder
were ordinary schools. Of all schools, 6 000
were secondary and the rest primary.
Learners attend school for 13 years; the
first year of education, Grade R, and the last three
are not compulsory. Many primary schools offer
Grade R, which can also be completed at an
independent Grade R school. There were 15 966
Grade R educators teaching Grade R in 2008 and
provinces trained all of them on the curriculum.
In
2008, 13 941 schools were offering Grade R. The matric exam pass rate in 2007 was 65,2%. Some 36 000 more candidates wrote the 2007
examination than in 2006. A total of 368 217
learners passed the Senior Certificate in 2007, amounting to 16 714 more than in 2006.
In 2008, Grade 12 learners wrote the first
National Senior Certificate based on the new
curriculum the National Curriculum Statement
(NCS). A number of 589 912 learners enrolled for
the NCS examinations. The pass rate was 62,5%.
In 2008, there were 21 677 private-school candidates registered to write the Senior Certificate. In
2007, 14 364 private-school candidates passed the
Senior Certificate examination and 5 869 passed
with endorsement. In 2008, there were 8 174
private-school candidates registered to write the
Independent Examinations Board exam. In 2007, 7 034 private-school candidates passed the exam
and 5 663 passed with endorsement. [ Top ]
Education structures
Ministry of Education
The National Education Policy Act, 1996 (Act 27 of 1996) [PDF], empowers the Minister of Education
to determine national norms and standards for
education planning, provision, governance, monitoring
and evaluation.
The principle of democratic decision-making
is exercised within the context of overall policy
goals. In determining policy, the minister takes
into account the competence of provincial legislatures
and the relevant provisions of any provincial
law relating to education.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of
government investment in education in the world. The budget totalled R122,8 billion in 2008/09.
National and provincial
departments of education
The Constitution has vested substantial power in
the provincial legislatures and governments to run
educational affairs (other than universities and
universities of technology), subject to a national
policy framework. The national Department of
Education is responsible for formulating policy, setting norms and standards, and monitoring and
evaluating all levels of education. It also funds HE
institutions through subsidies and by providing
financial support to students through the National
Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The national department shares a concurrent
role with the provincial departments of education
for school education, Abet, ECD and FET colleges. The South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996) [PDF], further devolves responsi bility to school
level by delegating the governance of public schools to democratically elected school-governing bodies (SGBs), consisting of parents, educators, non-educator staff and (secondary school) learners.
Relations with provincial departments of education are guided by national policy, within which the provincial departments have to set their own priorities and implementation programmes.
The National Education Policy Act, 1996 [PDF] formalised relations between national and provincial authorities, and established the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) and the Heads of Education Departments Committee (Hedcom) as intergovernmental forums to collaborate in developing the education system.
The role of the national department is to translate the education and training policies of government and the provisions of the Constitution into a national education policy and legislative framework.
The department must ensure that:
- all levels of the system adhere to these policies and laws
- mechanisms are in place to monitor and enhance quality in the system
- the system is on par with international developments.
The core activities of the department are to:
- provide research and policy review
- provide planning and policy development
- provide support to the provinces and HE institutions in their implementation of national policy, norms and standards
- monitor the implementation of policy, norms and standards to assess their impact on the quality of the educational process, and identify policy gaps.
The Department of
Education has eight branches:
- Administration
- Auxilliary and Associated Services
- Systems Planning and Monitoring
- Social and School Enrichment
- Quality Promotion and Development
- General Education
and Training (GET)
- Further Education and Training
(FET)
- Higher Education (HE).
Administration
This branch provides administrative support for the overall management of the corporate functions performed by the department.
Auxilliary and Associated Services
This branch co-ordinates and promotes effective international relations, and gives support and advisory services to provincial education departments.
Systems Planning and Monitoring
The Systems Planning and Monitoring Branch provides strategic direction in the development, implementation and monitoring of education policies, programmes and projects.
Social and School Enrichment
The branch provides strategic direction for the development of policies and education programmes that aim to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of learning. It ensures the provision of quality education by promoting social transformation, justice and cohesion, and a South African identity in the education system.
The key priorities of the branch are:
- improving safety in schools that experience high levels of crime and violence
- increasing the participation and success rates of girls in gateway subjects and preventing barriers to equity for girls in the education system
- ensuring access and retention of learners in rural and farm schools
- implementing special social cohesion plans
- reviewing Abet and implementing the mass literacy campaign
- facilitating the implementation of school sports and enrichment programmes
- supporting and strengthening curriculum-driven HIV and AIDS activities through peer education
- ensuring the successful and increased implementation of the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
Quality Promotion and Development
The Quality Promotion and Development Branch
provides strategic direction for the development
of policies and education programmes to
ensure continuous improvement in the quality of
learning.
General Education and Training
The GET Branch provides leadership by managing
and evaluating pro grammes for ECD, school education,
learners with special needs, school management
and governance programmes, enhancing the
efficiency and effectiveness of districts through
development and support and human resources
(HR) in education.
Key priorities of the branch include:
- expanding programmes
- expanding access to ECD, particularly for children
in rural, farming and other marginalised
communities
- providing Grade R to all children
- working towards ensuring a reception year in
all schools with a foundation year
- further developing a truly inclusive system of
education, including the consolidation of special
schools
- ensuring that there are no underqualified
educators
- co-ordinating the implementation and provision
of education to children up to the age of four
years
- successfully implementing the National Curriculum Statement (NCS).
The White Paper on Building an Inclusive Education
and Training System 2001 [PDF] is being implemented.
The department aims to remove all barriers
to learning so that children with special needs, including the most vulnerable, are able to participate fully in the process of education.
Learner access to Grade R is increasing, and
the department is targeting the implementation
of Grade R in all public primary schools by 2010. By March 2008, there were over 600 000 children
attending Grade R classes nationally.
Further Education and Training
The FET Branch is responsible for developing
policy for grades 10 to 12 in public and independent schools, as well as in public and private FET
colleges.
It oversees the integrity of assessment in schools
and colleges, and offers an academic curriculum
as well as a range of vocational subjects. FET
colleges cater for out-of-school youth and adults. The branch oversees, co-ordinates and monitors
the system’s response to improved learner participation and performance in Mathematics, Science
and Technology (MST). It devises strategies aimed
at the use of information and communications
technology (ICT), and supports curriculum implementation through the national educational portal, Thutong.
In 2008/09, the branch’s main achievements
included:
- implementing vocational education levels 2, 3, 4 and 5
- implementing the new curriculum in Grade 12
and Level 2 and 3 national certificates in FET
colleges
- monitoring the third year of FET colleges
- registering private FET colleges
- preparing national examinations for Abet Level 4, FET colleges, Senior Certificate examinations
in May/June and National Senior Certificate in
November 2008.
Higher Education
HE is central to the social, cultural and economic
development of modern societies. The HE Branch
provides strategic direction and institutional
support for the development of a single co-ordinated
system.
The branch provides leadership by:
- developing legislation
- developing policy support to the HE system
- liaising with constituencies in HE
- registering private HE institutions
- overseeing the NSFAS
- implementing the National Plan for HE
- allocating and transferring subsidies to public
HE institutions.
In 2008, the HE budget was R18,5 billion. Some
R15,1 billion of the budget was transferred to HE
institutions as block grants or earmarked funds for
the NSFAS, foundation programmes, infrastructure
or efficiency allocations. [ Top ] Statutory bodies
Council of Education Ministers
The CEM, consisting of the Minister of Education, the Deputy Minister of Education and the nine provincial members of the executive councils for education, meets regularly to discuss the promotion of national education policy, share information and views on all aspects of education in South Africa and co-ordinate action on matters of mutual interest.
Heads of Education
Departments Committee
Hedcom consists of the Director-General of the Department of Education, the deputy directors-general of the department and the heads of provincial departments of education. The committee facilitates the development of a national education system, shares information and views on national education, co-ordinates administrative action on matters of mutual interest and advises the department on a range of specified matters related to the proper functioning of the national education system.
General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Council (Umalusi)
The Umalusi Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training was established in terms of the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act, 2001 (Act 58 of 2001) [PDF].
Its major functions include:
- ensuring continuous quality improvements in the delivery and outcomes of the general and further education and training sectors by monitoring of the suitability and adequacy of standards and qualifications
- accrediting private providers and monitoring of and reporting on public providers
- assuring the quality of learner assessments at exit points
- issuing certificates
- quality promotion among providers of education, training and assessment.
All examination processes for qualifications offered by schools, Abet centres and FET colleges have been quality assured. Accreditation, monitoring and visiting the sites of private providers of education and training continue across schools, Abet centres and FET colleges. Existing assessment bodies (public and private) are monitored, while new applications for accreditation are processed.
In 2008/09, Umalusi was responsible for:
- improving and maintaining the existing system for quality, assuring exit-point assessment and developing new quality-assurance processes for the three new qualifications: National Senior Certificate, National Certificate (vocational) and GET Certificate (schools)
- improving and extending a system for evaluating and accrediting adult education centres, independent schools, private FET providers and assessment bodies
- establishing and further piloting quality assurance of qualifications and curricula
- conducting research on a number of topics on the standard of curricula and assessments in the GET and FET bands
- maintaining and improving the information technology (IT) system and existing certification functions, while developing new regulations and systems for the certification of new qualifications.
South African Qualifications Authority
The South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa) is a statutory body of 29 members appointed by the ministers of labour and of education. Saqa, through the NQF ensures that South African qualifications are of excellent quality, and internationally comparable. The authority is responsible for:
- developing the NQF by formulating and publishing policies and criteria for the registration of bodies responsible for establishing education and training standards or qualifications
- accrediting bodies responsible for monitoring
and auditing achievements in terms of such
standards and qualifications
- implementing the NQF by ensuring the registration,
accreditation and assign ment of functions
to the referred bodies
- registering national standards and qualifications
on the NQF.
The NQF is a set of principles and guide lines on
which records of learner achievement are registered.
This enables national recognition of acquired
skills and knowledge, thereby ensuring an integrated system that encourages lifelong learning. The NQF also attempts to move the measurement
of achievement in education and training away
from input, towards outcomes.
Saqa’s Centre for the Evaluation of Educational
Qualifications determines the equivalence
between foreign and South African qualifications
in the South African context.
The National Learners’ Records Database
(NLRD) is the key national source of information
for human-resource development (HRD) in South
Africa in terms of education, training and labour-market supply. It is also the management-information
system of the NQF.
It includes information on learner achievements
and accredited providers uploaded from education
and training quality-assurance bodies (ETQAs), as
well as the full contents of all qualifications and
unit standards registered on the NQF. The NLRD is
the first system in the world to contain all of these
elements in one relational database.
By March 2008, Saqa had finalised the standards-generation process to register 30 additional qualifications. The Saqa has reviewed the state of quality
assurance, ensured that all the quality-assurance
bodies disclosed non-compliance related to quality, and is starting a process to move from compliance
to performance auditing.
These performance audits ensure, among other
things, that all the accredited providers of registered
qualifications are monitored and audited by
accredited ETQAs. A targeted monitoring process
was undertaken in high-risk areas such as firearm
training, and the performance audit model was
refined with input from stakeholders. The official
performance auditing of ETQAs began late in 2007
and was completed in 2008.
Council on Higher Education (CHE)
The Council on Higher Education (CHE) was established in terms of the HE Act, 1997 (Act 101 of 1997) [PDF], and is responsible for:
- advising the minister on all policy matters
related to HE
- executing responsibility for quality assurance in
HE and training
- monitoring and evaluating the achievement of
policy goals and objectives, including reporting
on the state of South African HE
- promoting students’ access to HE
- publishing an annual report on the state of HE
for submission to Parliament
- convening an annual summit of HE stakeholders
- accrediting private providers and programmes
for quality assurance.
Standard-setting has been added as a core function
of the CHE and new structures and regulations
were expected to be drafted in 2008.
South African Council for
Educators (SACE)
The South African Council for
Educators (SACE) is a professional council that aims to
enhance the status of the teaching profession and
promote the development of educators and their
professional conduct. The SACE was established in
terms of the SACE Act, 2000 (Act 31 of 2000) [PDF].
The council’s functions are to:
- register educators
- promote the professional development of
educators
- set, maintain and protect ethical and professional
standards.
Educators are required to register with SACE before
they are employed by any authority. The SACE has
a register of about 500 000 educators, of whom
22 000 are registered provisionally. The council
has strengthened entry requirements by checking
the “professional standing” of applicants. The council has a number of programmes
that promote the development of educators and
enhance the status and image of the teaching
profession. These include, among other things, the Professional Development Portfolio Project
that aims to encourage educators to reflect on their practice and to take responsibility for their own professional development; teacher education and development research activities; setting up the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) system; and celebrating World Teachers’ Day to acknowledge the work of educators.
The ethics function ensures that educators adhere to the SACE Code of Professional Ethics.
National Board for Further
Education and Training (NBFET)
The NBFET was launched in June 1999 in terms of the National Education Policy Act, 1996. It provides the minister with independent and strategic advice on matters relating to the transformation of FET. The board may, on its own initiative, advise the minister on any aspect of FET, as well as:
- national FET policy, goals and priorities
- norms and standards, including those regarding funding
- norms and the terms, purposes and conditions of earmarked grants
- reports on FET from provincial advisory bodies.
Education Labour
Relations Council (ELRC)
The Education Labour
Relations Council (ELRC) is a bargaining council for the education sector. The council consists of equal representation of the employer (the national and provincial departments of education) and employees (trade unions representing educators and other employees in the sector).
The ELRC aims to create effective and constructive labour relations in the education sector and ensure the promotion and transformation of education at all levels within society.
Since its inception, the ELRC has concluded many collective agreements that have improved the quality of teaching and learning in South Africa.
A collective agreement on an Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD) for educators was signed in April 2008 by the Department of Education and trade unions in the ELRC. The OSD is intended to improve remuneration packages for educators.
National Student Financial Aid Scheme
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is responsible for:
- allocating loans and bursaries to eligible students in public HE
- developing criteria and conditions for the granting of loans and bursaries to eligible students, in consultation with the minister
- raising funds, recovering loans, maintaining and analysing a database, and undertaking research for the better use of financial resources
- advising the minister on related matters.
In addition to managing funds appropriated by the department, the NSFAS undertook to manage three bursary schemes introduced in 2007/08:
The Department of Education is proceeding with efforts to double the output of universities in priority sectors by aligning the NSFAS and subsidy funding for scarce skills. To realise this objective, government committed R439 million over the 2007– 2009 period to improve teaching and learning infrastructure.
[ Top ]
Equity in education expenditure
Equity between and within provinces is achieved through the equitable division of national revenue between provinces, making use of the Equitable Shares Formula (ESF), the national norms and standards for school funding and the national post-provisioning norms.
The Government’s ESF promotes financial equity between provinces, through the distribution of national revenue to provinces on the basis of relative need and backlogs. In the area of education, the size of the school-age population and the number of learners enrolled in public ordinary schools are taken into account, as well as capital-investment needs.
The national norms and standards for school funding, which became national policy in 1999, aim to achieve equality and redress poverty at schools in terms of non-personnel expenditure within a province. The norms are clearly progressive, with 60% of a province’s non-personnel expenditure going to the poorest 40% of learners in public schools. The poorest 20% of learners receive 35% of non-personnel resources, while the richest 20% receive 5%.
To enhance the attainment of equity in funding ordinary public schools, the school-funding norms provide for full, partial and conditional exemption for parents who cannot afford to pay school fees, thus ensuring that learners with financial difficulties cannot be denied access to education.
Considering that about 88% of provincial
education expenditure goes towards personnel
costs, the distribution of personnel, in particular
educators, is a key driver of equity within provinces.
Equity in this regard is promoted by the
national post-provisioning norms. These norms
have contributed to the narrowing of inequalities
regarding educator:learner ratios, and the availability
of more educator posts in historically disadvantaged areas. [ Top ] Education policy
Legislative framework
Education policy is informed by the following legislation:
- The National Education Policy Act, 1996 [PDF] identifies
the policy and legislative and monitoring
responsibilities of the Minister of Education
and formalises relations between national
and provincial authorities. The Act embodies the
principle of co-operative governance.
- The South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996) [PDF], promotes
access, quality and democratic governance
in the schooling system. It makes schooling
compulsory for children aged seven to 15 years, or learners reaching Grade 9, whichever occurs
first. It also provides for two types of schools– independent schools and public schools. The
Act’s provision for democratic school governance
through school governing bodies (SGBs) is
in place in public schools countrywide.
- The FET Colleges Act, 2006 (Act 16 of 2006) [PDF], provides for the establishment, governance and
funding of public FET colleges, the employment
of staff (excluding the principal and deputy principal)
at public FET colleges, the registration of
private FET colleges, and general provisions
for the running of such colleges. The Act is in
line with the Education White Paper 4 on FET
(1998) [PDF].
- The HE Act, 1997 provides for a unified and
national system of HE and for the establishment, governance and funding of public HE institutions,
the registration of private HE institutions, and general provisions regarding such institutions.
The Act, the Education White Paper 3 on
HE (1997) [PDF] and the National Plan for HE form the
basis for the transformation of the HE sector.
- The Employment of Educators Act (EEA), 1998 (Act 76 of 1998) [PDF], regulates the professional,
moral and ethical responsibilities and
competencies of educators. The EEA, 1998
also stipulates who the employer of educators
is, how educators are employed and who
determines their conditions of service. It also
provides for an incapacity code, procedures for
poor work performance and a disciplinary code
and procedures (for dealing with misconduct).
- The Abet Act, 2000 (Act 52 of 2000) [PDF], provides
for the establishment of public and private
adult-learning centres, funding for Abet provisioning,
the governance of public centres and
quality-assurance mechanisms for the sector.
- The goal of the White Paper on e-Education (2003) [PDF] is that all teachers, learners, managers
and administrators will be ICT-capable by 2013.
Guidelines for teacher development identified
three categories of professional development, namely:
- basic ICT competencies
- integration of ICT into teaching and learning
- specialisation and innovation in ICT in
education.
By May 2008, about 53 000 teachers had been
trained in basic ICT skills and some 24 000 teachers
in ICT integration into the curriculum. Quality Improvement,
Development, Support and
Upliftment Programme (QIDS-UP)
QIDS-UP is a five-year special intervention
programme that prioritises 15 000 primary schools
serving the poorest communities. The focus of the
programme is to improve schools infrastructure, supply curriculum resources and provide teacher
and school management support towards improving
learning outcomes. The programme also seeks
to address the impact of poverty in schools.
Greater emphasis is placed on improving school
infrastructure. In 2008/09, 1 000 schools were
improved (renovations, water and fencing) at a
cost of R76,5 million in seven provinces. During
2008, 11 000 schools received reading books, including reading books in indigenous languages
for 2 200 schools.
A manual on school self-evaluation and improvement
to support school managers was delivered to
schools in October 2008.
Policy developments
Improving access to free and
quality basic education
School fees are set at annual public meetings of
SGBs where parents vote on the amount to be
paid. Parents who cannot afford to pay, or who can only afford a lesser amount, are granted an exemption or reduction in fees.
The 2005 Education Amendment Bill [PDF] became law in January 2006, providing the legal foundation for introducing no-fee schools in 2007.
By September 2008, 58% of public ordinary schools were declared no-fee schools, benefiting more than five million learners in 14 264 schools.
General Education and Training
General school education is structured according to three phases, the Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase and Senior Phase, and constitutes the compulsory component of the education system. The progressive provision of Grade R prior to Grade 1
started in 2002 and is expected to be available to all children by 2010.
Curriculum
The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) aims to develop the full potential of all learners as citizens of a democratic South Africa. It seeks to create a lifelong learner who is confident and independent; literate, numerate and multiskilled; compassionate, with respect for the environment; and the ability to participate in society as a critical and active citizen.
The NCS builds on the vision and values of the Constitution and the NCS for grades R to 12. These principles include:
- social justice, a healthy environment; human rights and inclusivity
- outcomes-based education
- a high level of skills and knowledge for all
- clarity and accessibility
- progression and integration.
The NCS (grades R to 9) has been implemented in the Foundation Phase (grades R to 3) since 2004, the Intermediate Phase (grades 4 to 6) since 2005, and in grades 7 and 10 since 2006. Grades 8,9 and 11 were implemented in 2007 and Grade 12 in 2008.
Mathematics became compulsory for the first time in 2006. In 2008, pupils started writing the National Senior Certificate examination, offering seven subjects from a choice of 29. Examination papers are set nationally and benchmarked against international papers.
Focus schools of technology will be set up in each province. In terms of the curriculum, focus schools can be created and learners offered opportunities for gaining new skills.
At provincial level, schools suitable for conversion to focus schools will be identified to meet the demand for new and responsive skills.
The NCS is available in all 11 official languages and in Braille, in keeping with the Constitution, which grants parity of esteem to all languages. Teacher guides for each learning area have been developed and distributed to all schools.
The Policy on Religion and Education gives directives on how schools should address issues relating to religious observance, instruction and education, which are curriculum matters. It recognises diversity among learners and aims to foster tolerance, respect and understanding among learners of different backgrounds.
The National Policy on Assessment for the GET Band, which includes a protocol to regulate the recording and reporting of learner achievement of learning outcomes has been finalised and gazetted.
The national guidelines on school uniforms have also been gazetted.
School-admission policy
The Education Laws Amendment Act, 2002 (Act 50 of 2002) [PDF], set the age of admission to Grade 1 as the year in which the child turns seven.
However, the school-going age of Grade 1 has been changed to age five if children turn six on or before 30 June in their Grade 1 year. This was implemented with effect from the 2004 school year.
When applying for admission, parents must present the school with an official birth certificate and proof that the child has been immunised against communicable diseases.
For non-South African citizens, a study permit, temporary or permanent residence permit, or evidence of application for permission to stay in South Africa, is also required.
National School Nutrition Programme
By August 2008, six million learners in
18 039 schools had access to the NSNP and there were 6 390 food gardens in schools. A total of 18 305 monitoring visits were made to schools by provinces and districts. Some 1 630
community-based service-providers were providing food supplies to schools.
About 26 408 food handlers are working on the programme and receive an honorarium ranging between R300 and R500 per month. In 2007/08, the NSNP was allocated a budget of R1,152 billion, of which 100% was spent by 31 March 2008.
National Strategy for Mathematics,
Science and Technology Education
The National Strategy for MST Education was launched in 2001. As part of this strategy,
government identified 102 dedicated Mathematics
and Physical Science schools (Dinaledi schools).
It is evident that the success of the Dinaledi
project is also dependent on the availability of
teachers who are able to teach high-level Mathematics and Science. In addition, it has also been
recognised that proficiency in English is an important
element for enhancing performance in Mathematics
and Science.
The Adopt-a-School Project is a framework
for private partners to support the development
of Dinaledi schools. By May 2008, 276 Dinaledi
schools had been adopted by 14 partners.
The department has also enrolled about 50 000
Dinaledi learners in the Mathematics Olympiads. Provinces use subject advisers, who have been
trained by the department and universities, to train
teachers in all subjects during school holidays
and on weekends. By mid-2008, 4 824 Physical
Sciences teachers had been trained in the provinces.
Provinces offer teachers bursaries to study
the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE)
specialising in Physical Sciences. By mid-2008, R13,8 million had been awarded in bursaries.
Further education and
training colleges
Major transformation of the FET college sector
saw the existing 152 technical colleges merging
to form 50 multisite-campus FET colleges.
Each college operates under a single governing
council appointed to oversee effective and
accountable management across and within the
various FET college campuses and sites.
Public FET colleges are offering new, exciting, modern and relevant programmes of study in a variety of vocational fields. The new programmes
are intended to respond directly to the priority
skills demands of the South African economy.
The National Certificate (Vocational) is a new
qualification at each of levels 2, 3 and 4 of the
National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The qualification is designed to provide both
the theory and practical experience in a particular
vocational field.
The practical component of the study may be
offered in a real or in a simulated workplace environment.
The qualification will also provide an
opportunity to enter HE studies, subject to students
taking the appropriate subject combinations. To
facilitate access to this qualification, the Department
of Education has set aside R600 million over
three years for bursaries.
The FET College Financial Aid Scheme has
commenced for students at Level 2 of the National
Certificate (Vocational) and was extended to
students on levels 3 and 4 in 2008 and 2009
respectively. These bursaries are administered by
the NSFAS on behalf of the Department of Education.
The third and final year of recapitalisation of
the FET colleges began in April 2008. Detailed
plans from all 50 FET colleges for the expenditure
of R795 million on infrastructure, equipment and
human resources were submitted and approved
by Cabinet. Some R397,5 million was transferred
to colleges in May 2008.
Higher Education
The Higher Education (HE) landscape consists of the following institutions:
HE and training is also referred to as tertiary education. The HE band provides the highest level of education. Entry into HE is through a Grade 12 pass or a Grade 12 pass with exemption.
Private institutions offering HE must register with the department in accordance with the HE Act, 1997.
The role of HE in the South African education system is three-fold:
- HRD: mobilising human talent and potential through lifelong learning to contribute to the social, economic, cultural and intellectual life of a rapidly changing society.
- High-level skills training: training and providing person-power to strengthen the country’s enterprises, services and infrastructure. This requires the development of professionals with globally equivalent skills, but who are socially responsible and conscious of their role in contributing to the national development effort and social transformation.
- Producing, acquiring and applying new knowledge: national growth and competitiveness depend on continuous technological improvement and innovation, driven by a research and development system that integrates the research and training capacity of HE with the needs of industry and of social reconstruction.
National Plan for Higher Education
One of the ways to give practical expression to the objective of a better life is to pursue greater access, transformation and quality in the HE system.
In 2008/09, the Department of Education’s budget totalled R18,5 billion, of which
R15,1 billion was transferred to HE institutions as block grants or earmarked funds (for the NSFAS, foundation programmes, infrastructure or efficiency allocations).
The National Plan for HE seeks to expand enrolment by setting a target of a 20% participation rate by 2015. It proposed a shift in the balance of enrolments to a ratio of 40%: 30%: 30% in the humanities: business and commerce: science, engineering, and technology, respectively over the period 2001 to 2010.
The challenge of equity of outcomes is addressed by matching the increased access of black people and women with increased success in key disciplines as well as in postgraduate programmes.
Institutions were directed to establish equity targets with an emphasis on areas in which black and women students were underrepresented and to develop viable strategies for ensuring equity of outcomes.
The plan proposes the restructuring and configuration of the institutional landscape of HE to create new institutional and organisational forms to address the racial fragmentation of the system as well as the administrative, human and financial capacity constraints.
By consolidating HE provision through reducing
the number of institutions but not the number of
delivery sites on a regional basis, cost and efficiency gains have to be achieved through institutional
collaboration in specific programmes.
Values
The Values Initiative continues to focus on all forms
of discrimination in education within a broader
framework of human rights. In early 2008, the
Department of Education released a draft schools
pledge to initiate a broader discussion on what it
means to be a South African at the start of the 21st
century.
The department also finalised the Bill of Responsibilities
for the Youth of South Africa, developed in
partnership with the National Religious Leaders
Forum. It is a mirror of the Bill of Rights, indicating
the responsibilities that young people have as they
claim the rights afforded them by the Constitution.
The department, in partnership with the Department
of Arts and Culture, allocated 2 000 national
flags through the Flag in Every School Project, which aims to ensure that all schools fly the
national flag with pride.
Adult Basic Education and Training
According to the Development Indicators [PDF], 2008,
there has been a steady annual increase in the
literacy rate from 2002. By 2006, 74% of adults
were literate. Female literacy rates followed a
similar trend and reached 73% in 2006.
Provinces with the largest number of illiterate people are KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the
Eastern Cape, followed by Gauteng, Mpumalanga
and North West. The lowest numbers occur in the
Free State, the Northern Cape and the Western
Cape. While KwaZulu-Natal has the largest number of
illiterate people with no education and Limpopo
has the highest proportion, the highest concentration
is in the Eastern Cape. The language groups
most affected are isiZulu, isiXhosa and Sesotho sa
Leboa.
The Department of Education is reviewing its
Abet programmes to expand provision and ensure
the responsiveness of the programme for the
diverse needs of adult learners.
The Kha Ri Gude (“let us learn”) mass literacy campaign was officially launched in February 2008. Government will spend R6,1 billion over
five years to enable 4,7 million South Africans to
achieve literacy by 2010. The campaign is aimed
at reducing adult illiteracy by:
- mobilising potential learners, educators and
other support personnel to participate in the
mass literacy campaign
- developing learner and educator-support
material
- setting up relevant systems at national,
provincial and district level to facilitate national
implementation of the campaign
- establishing and maintaining a database of
4,7 million learners and 40 000 educators over
the campaign period.
By August 2008, progress included the:
- enrolment of 360 000 learners
- recruitment and training of volunteer educators, 2 800 supervisors and 150 co-ordinators.
- in August 2008, blind unemployed matriculants
were trained to teach basic Braille literacy to blind adults. In October 2008, the
campaign received an additional allocation of
R107 million.
Advocacy initiatives such as National Adult Learners’
Week and International Literacy Day, in
September, continue to be celebrated, recognising
and honouring the achievements of learners and
their educators.
The Bridges to the Future Initiative (an ICT-
based literacy programme) is being developed as
a pilot programme in Limpopo. Partners include
the national Department of Education, Limpopo
Department of Education, the International Literacy Institute, Nedbank, Kellogg Foundation (United
States of America) and the Molteno Project.
The number of Abet and literacy service-providers and non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) has grown dramatically, with an increasing
number of emerging organisations being accredited
by both Umalusi and the Education, Training, Development Practices (ETDP) Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta).
Education of learners with
special education needs
The national and provincial departments of education
provide a wide range of education services to
learners who, owing to a range of factors, experience
barriers to learning and participation.
These factors include:
- autism
- behavioural problems
- visual impairment
- tuberculosis
- children in conflict with the law
- physical disability
- neurological and specific learning disabilities
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- multidisability
- intellectual disability
- hearing impairment
- communication disorders
- epilepsy
- over-aged learners.
These services are provided in ordinary and special schools through a range of service-providers such as district curriculum, institutional and special-needs specialists, as well as specially trained educators.
The Education White Paper 6 (2001) [PDF] acknowledges that many children experience barriers
to learning. Some of these barriers lie within
the learners themselves (intrinsic), while some barriers are systemic, socio-economic and cultural.
In its quest to accommodate these learners, the Department of Education is field-testing
full-service schools in 30 districts. Between 2005 and 2009, some 30 selected ordinary primary schools are being made fully accessible to learners who experience barriers to learning. They are being supplied with specialised equipment and training to cater for learners in the area who have additional support needs.
These full-service schools are seen as models of inclusive education to be replicated in all districts of the country. Infrastructure and learning conditions in special schools are being improved to ensure that all learners in the country receive quality education.
District-based support teams are being developed to provide support to educators whose learners have been identified as needing additional support. This will enable children, the majority of whom could not access education in the past because of the unavailability of specialised
services and support in rural and previously disadvantaged areas, to gain access to education.
The lessons learnt are being applied to the wider education sector incrementally.
Existing special schools are being strengthened so that some of them can serve as resource centres for full-service schools and ordinary schools in their areas.
Early Childhood Development
Early Childhood Development (ECD) is a comprehensive approach to programmes and policies for children from birth to nine years of age with the active participation of their parents and caregivers. Its purpose is to protect the rights of children to develop their full cognitive, emotional, social and physical potential. The Education White Paper 5 on ECD (2001) [PDF] proposes and encourages an integrated cross-sectoral approach to child development. This includes health, nutrition, education and psychosocial factors.
One of the priorities of the department is to increase access to ECD provisioning through an accredited reception year programme as proposed in Education White Paper 5 (2001). The non-profit sector plays a major role in ECD. Most of the early learning sites across South Africa have been initiated by the non-profit sector in partnership with communities.
The Department of Education is already responsible for children in grades 1 to 3 as part of compulsory schooling. The department intends to ensure that all children have access to Grade R by 2010. The ECD policy also focuses on expanding ECD provision, correcting the imbalances of the past, ensuring equitable access to, and improving the quality and delivery of ECD programmes, including the provision of educational programmes to children from birth to four years.
Regarding the birth-to-four years age group, the Department of Education is a member of the ECD Interdepartmental Committee (including the departments of health and of social development), which has developed the Birth-to-Four National Integrated Plan. The plan is closely linked to government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP creates employment and training opportunities for ECD practitioners. A total of 5 300 ECD teaching practitioners have undergone training across the various provinces with strong monitoring support from the Department
of Education.
The registration of ECD sites is the responsibility of the Department of Social Development in terms of the Child Care Act, 1983 (Act 74 of 1983) [PDF]. Municipalities/local governments also have constitutional power to provide child-care facilities and grants to associations. These regulations are applicable to both public and independent ECD sites.
[ Top ]
School safety and enrichment
The Department of Education has initiated several
interventions, ranging from the provision of infrastructure,
to youth camps, and to learner and
teacher programmes to facilitate the creation of
safe and caring child-friendly schools across the
country.
Furthermore, Section 8 of the South African
Schools Act, 1996 compels the governing body of
a school to adopt a code of conduct for learners.
In support of teachers, the department released
examples of codes of conduct to schools and
provided training and further guidance on alternative
forms of discipline to corporal punishment
during 2008/09.
The Department of Education is committed to
ensuring learner participation in sport, arts, culture
and music activities. The department is collaborating
with Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) in the co-ordination and management of national
programmes that promote mass participation and
competitive school sport.
The department’s School-Enrichment Unit
co-ordinates and strengthens the delivery of
national extramural/extracurricular school- enrichment
programmes, not only to promote mass
participation in sport by young people, but
also to promote social transformation and cohesion.
Some of the arts, culture and music flagship
programmes the department co-ordinates
in collaboration with the Department of Arts and
Culture include the South African Schools Choral
Eisteddfod, the National Indigenous Games, the
Music and Movement Festival and the National
Language Festival and Concert.
School-safety measures
Regulations for safety measures at public schools
focus on the safety of learners within schools’
premises.
The measures also accommodate school tours
and sporting activities. The regulations will, among
other things, ensure the following:
- public schools must take reasonable measures
to ensure the safety of learners during tours and
sporting activities, including insurance against
accidents
- learners and educators who undertake a school
tour are not allowed to carry drugs, alcohol or
weapons
- upon return from a tour or sporting activity, the
supervising educator must submit a report to
the principal, who in turn will submit it to the
departmental official who approved the tour
- a public school must obtain written consent
from parents of learners who will be undertaking
the tour
- public-school vehicles for transporting
learners must have insurance and roadworthy
certificates, and drivers of such vehicles
must be in possession of valid driver’s
licences and professional driving permits.
The regulations will be published for public
comment before being gazetted into legislation. The Department of Education, in collaboration
with provincial school-safety co-ordinators, identified
585 schools with high levels of crime and
violence.
As part of a ministerial intervention project, nine
schools (one in each province) have been identified.
A minimum package regarding infrastructural
changes has been compiled for schools to address
incidents of crime and violence. The minimum
package consisted of hand-held metal detectors, the appointment of security officers and installation
of a security fence and appropriate lighting.
The impact of the department’s intervention will
be monitored over six months at each of the nine
schools. The remainder of the 576 schools with
high levels of crime and violence will be targeted
in collaboration with provincial departments, with
focused developmental programmes to curb incidents
of crime and violence.
An early warning system, Be Aware–Take Care, has been developed and piloted in three provinces
(Eastern Cape, Limpopo and the Western Cape) in
partnership with the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention.
Partnerships have been strengthened with the
departments of safety and security and of social development, Business Against Crime and the
Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention to focus
on eliminating crime and violence in schools.
[ Top ]
The South African Schools Football
World Cup Partnership
The South African Schools Football World Cup
Partnership was officially launched in Soweto at
the Moletsane Sport Complex in May 2008.
This is a collaborative effort by the Department of Education, Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA), the FIFA Organising Committee
and South African Broadcasting Corporation to
mobilise and educate South African schoolchildren
about the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ tournament. As
part of this, a competition has been arranged that
176
will involve all schools. The competition is organised in four categories, namely under-14 and under-18, both for boys and girls in each age division. The competition will roll out in two phases.
The first phase is along the lines of the Confederations Cup and the second phase the actual World Cup. Schools will assume the identities of the participating countries and the national emblems and culture will be adopted by the participating schools for the duration of the competition. This will encourage the building of knowledge about other countries and cultures and prepare young South Africans to host the Soccer World Cup. [ Top ]
Education management and governance development
The Department of Education has developed the Education-Management Policy Framework and the South African Standard for Principalship for school managers, along with a new ladder of education-management qualifications.
These include a practice-based qualification for principals and aspirant principals, which will assist in professionalising the management of schools.
Educator development
The Department of Education considers the development of educators, school managers and SGBs a high priority.
It continues to reduce the number of unqualified and underqualified educators by introducing capacity-building programmes. The following programmes contribute towards educators’ development:
- an MST ACE was introduced to reskill and train educators so that the NCS could be introduced
- the MST Project aims to improve the qualifications and skills of educators in these subjects
- the National Professional Diploma in Education Programme aims to upgrade the qualifications of those teachers who do not meet the minimum professional qualification requirements
- the Education Information Policy has been instituted for the setting of standard requirements for the administration of national surveys.
The National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development [PDF], published in April 2007, aims to increase the supply of and to train better educators for the system.
To increase the number of teacher trainees, the Fundza Lushaka bursaries were introduced. In 2008, R180 million was disbursed through about
5 000 bursary awards to new and returning students in critical focus areas. The first 800 beneficiaries of the bursaries were placed in schools early in 2008.
During 2008, a key focus was a recruitment campaign to attract young people into Foundation Phase teaching, particularly students keen and able to teach in the various African languages. The policy framework introduced the CPTD system to revitalise the teaching profession and to reward those who commit themselves to the goals and principles of quality, professionalism and service.
In 2008, the department funded 1 600 teachers on MST ACE programmes, and a further
3 000 teachers for national professional diplomas in education at various universities. Additional professional development programmes were planned to improve the ICT capabilities of teachers and to support the Foundations for Learning Programme.
Research to collect data on un- and underqualified
teachers in the system was commissioned. The outcome of this will be the compilation of a five-year plan for a focused systemic approach to teacher upgrading to be implemented from 2009.
Education infrastructure
In September 2007, Cabinet received the report on the National Education Infrastructure Management System (NEIMS), which is an update on the School Register of Needs. The report highlighted the progress the country was making in addressing the school infrastructure backlogs and the challenges that still lay ahead.
Cabinet resolved that innovative ways of accelerating
service delivery, such as the establishment of a dedicated agency or public entity, increased use of public-private partnerships, and community participation in provision, should be explored.
The report concluded that some 74% of schools were in a good or excellent condition. However, it is also evident that substantial backlogs still remain in relation to the provision of facilities and the standard of these.
In 2008, a capital-investment plan was under development, using the NEIMS data.
In 1998, the education infrastructure budget was R481 million. In 2007, the budget totalled R3,9 billion (an increase of 810%). In 2010, it is set to expand to R5,2 billion.
Human-Resource Development Strategy (HRDS)
The revised Human-Resource Development Strategy (HRDS) for the period 2009 to 2014 was approved and implemented in April 2008.
The aim of this strategy is to achieve articulation
between the subsystems (public-private and
across government) for optimal achievement of
systemic outcomes; and to facilitate a continuing
analysis of HRD and the functioning of the labour
market.
The intended outcomes will include improvements
in the HRD Index and country ranking, and
in the measure and ranking of economic competitiveness,
a reduction of the Gini co-efficient and an
enhancement in social cohesion.
The strategy includes the following commitments:
- accelerating training output in priority areas
to achieve accelerated and shared economic
growth
- ensuring universal access to high-quality and
relevant education
- improving technological and innovation capability
in the public and private sectors
- establishing efficient planning capabilities in
the relevant departments and entities for the
successful implementation of the HRDS in
South Africa.
A monitoring and evaluation system will monitor
the implementation of the strategy. A major review
based on systematic evaluation studies and impact
assessments will be conducted every five years.
Health promotion
The Ministry of Education collaborates with the
Ministry of Health to ensure that the national
education system plays its part in stemming the
spread of HIV and AIDS, and ensuring that the
rights of all those infected and affected are fully
protected.
This priority has been operationalised into three objectives. Each is linked to anticipated outcomes
and performance indicators. The three programmes are:
- awareness, information and advocacy
- HIV and AIDS within the curriculum
- planning for HIV and AIDS in the education
system.
The ministry’s policy on HIV and AIDS for learners
and educators has been converted into an accessible
booklet for educators, SGBs and district officials.
The Department of Education’s Schools Sectoral
Plan on HIV and AIDS and Sexually Transmitted
Infections (STIs) National Strategic Plan (NSP)
2007–2011 aims to:
- reduce sexual transmission of HIV by 50%
among school-going youth by 2011
- strengthen social-behaviour change programmes
, interventions and curriculum strategies
and approaches to the prevention of sexual and
intravenous transmission of HIV, customised for
different target groups with a focus on children
vulnerable to and at higher risk of HIV-infection
within education institutions
- implement school-based interventions targeted
at reducing HIV infection among school-going
youth
- use schools as centres of care and support
- monitor and evaluate schools-based interventions
on life skills, HIV and AIDS.
The department has implemented the following
interventions in response to the NSP:
- It has strengthened and customised the life
skills, HIV and AIDS and sexual reproductive
health curriculum in educational institutions.
- It has conducted peer education training camps
in North West, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal,
and the Free State. Educators and learners
were trained on drug and substance use and
abuse, values and gender issues, reproductive
health, teenage pregnancies, STIs, and safety
and violence issues.
Drug and substance abuse
The following have been implemented:
- regulations on drug testing have been developed
and sent for public comment
- guidelines on random drug testing and searches
were developed
- 150 sets of 13 posters on the harmful effects
of drugs and substance abuse were developed
and distributed
- 400 000 Z-cards were developed for learners
- an educator manual on drug and substance
abuse was developed.
Health screening of learners
The screenings target Grade R to Grade 4 learners
identified with the following conditions:
- outstanding immunisation
- vision loss
- hearing loss
- gross loco motor dysfunction
- identification and response to intentional injuries
and child abuse
- oral health
- mental health with special focus on Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
In 2007/08, more than 411 schools participated in
the health screenings of learners above the national
strategic target of 200 schools nationwide, using
schools as centres of care and support. Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo and Free State participated in the campaign. [ Top ]
Educational portal
The educational portal www.thutong.org.za offers a range of curriculum and learner-support material, professional development programmes for educators, and administration and management resources for schools.
Thutong meaning “place of learning” in Setswana features a searchable database of web-based curriculum resources for various education sectors, grades and subjects.
The portal is a free service to registered users, who must go through a once-off, no-cost registration process. The portal is a partnership venture between the Department of Education and various role-players in the field.
The Department of Education has also revitalised
and revised the content of the portal. It has more than 31 000 registered users and more than 22 000 curriculum resources. [ Top ]
Partnerships and funding
Central to the education policy framework is the contention that a high-quality education sector cannot be built by government alone. It depends on creative and dynamic partnerships between the public sector, civil society and international partners.
The Department of Education, educator unions, the South African Council for Educators (SACE), Education Labour
Relations Council (ELRC) and the ETDP Seta work together to achieve education transformation goals.
The success of key national initiatives (including South African Literacy Initiative [Sanli]) relies largely on partnerships with the private sector and NGOs.
Several partnerships have been consolidated, providing working models of educational transformation through public-private partnerships. The Business Trust, a partnership between business and government, works in education through three NGOs, namely the Read Educational Trust, the JET Education Services and the National Business Initiative Colleges Collaboration.
Educator unions
The majority of educators are organised into four educator unions, namely the:
A labour-relations framework has been agreed to jointly by the Ministry of Education and the unions. This encompasses both traditional areas of negotiation, and issues of professional concern, including pedagogy and quality-improvement strategies.
In April 2008, an agreement was reached on the framework for the establishment of an OSD for educators in public education. The OSD provides for dual career paths where teachers and specialists in classrooms can progress to levels where they earn salaries that are equal to/or higher than those of managers without moving into management/supervisory posts.
It provides for longer salary bands so that teachers do not reach a plateau in their salaries too soon in their careers.
It provides for a new category of posts of teaching and learning specialists and senior learning and teaching specialists, as well as the creation of a cadre of education managers at school and office level.
The Education Management Service (EMS) will assist in ensuring that duties and responsibilities are clearly distinguished. The roles of principals are clearly separated from the roles of classroom educators and specialists. Educators employed in the EMS, whether school or office-based, will sign performance agreements with their supervisors. Their new salary will consist of a flexible remuneration package.
Non-governmental organisations
NGOs are emerging as important partners in educational transformation and are often a source or creativity and innovation. The Department of Education is working with NGOs and the private sector to expand relationships, particularly in the areas of educator training, school improvement, Abet, ECD and FET, as well as evaluation, research and monitoring. The private sector is engaging increasingly in the provision of basic education by funding FET initiatives, building schools in needy communities and supporting the provision of teaching and learning equipment.
Gender equity
One of the key programmes of the Directorate: Gender Equity in the Department of Education is the Girls Education Movement (GEM), which was launched in 2003. This programme aims to ensure that girl learners not only access education but that their retention and achievement rate increases. It is founded on three pillars, namely
career mentorship, skills development and advocacy. The GEM Skills Development Programme
aims to address gender disparities through education
and advocacy. The movement has recently incorporated
boys, where young people in schools form clubs
known as the Girls and Boys Education Movement
(G/BEM) clubs. These clubs are the department’s
avenue to inculcate in young people constructive
values and empowering them with information
pertaining to life-skills competencies to cope with
different social problems, including learner pregnancy, gender-based violence, HIV and AIDS and
sexual harassment.
The Guidelines for the Prevention and Management
of Sexual Violence and Harassment in Public
Schools were developed in 2008 to support schools
and school communities in responding to cases of
sexual harassment and sexual violence that are
perpetrated against learners and educators within
schools and those that come to the attention of
school authorities. The document also sets out
standard measures to be taken to respond to situations of alleged and actual sexual violence and
harassment across school communities, as well
as assisting victims with reporting procedures and
seeking intervention and support.
The measures for the Prevention and Management
of Learner Pregnancy were also developed
and distributed to public schools. The measures
are intended to provide an environment in which
learners are fully informed about reproductive
matters and have the information that assists them
in making responsible decisions. It also provides
affected learners with information pertaining to
their rights to education and support.
Rural education
The Directorate: Rural Education was established
in May 2007 as a result of the recommendations
made by the Ministerial Commission on Rural
Education. The focal point of this directorate is to
develop the National Framework for Quality Education
in Rural Areas. The plan is grounded in the 82
recommendations extracted from the Report of
the Ministerial Committee on Rural Education. It
focuses on the following five areas:
- quality of teaching and learning
- attracting and retaining learners in rural and
farm schools
- planning, restructuring and improving infrastructure
in rural and farm schools
- effective school governance and management
in rural and farm schools
- advocacy and sustainable partnership to implement
programmes directed at the broader rural
development and community participation in
rural and farm schools.
By mid-2008, the report was in the second draft
stage and the consultation process was continuing.
Three guidelines, as per the strategic plan and
in keeping with recommendations made by the
Ministerial Commission on Rural Education, have
been drafted:
- Guidelines for Mergers and Closures of Schools
- Guidelines for the Implementation of Regulations
relating to the Minimum Requirements for an
Agreement between the Member of the Executive
Property on which a Public School is Situated
- Guidelines to Formulating a Training Manual for
Multigrade Teachers.
The international community
The international community’s contribution to
the transformation of education is important. The
department co-operates with United Nations (UN) agencies and numerous donors to improve access
to basic education, FET and HE.
Development co-operation with partners such as
Flanders, France, Germany, Italy, the Japan International Co-operation Agency, Norway, the Danish
Agency for Development Assistance, United States
Agency for International Development, Centre for
Disease Control and Prevention, the Sweden International Development Agency, the United Kingdom’s (UK) Department for International Development,
the Nether lands, the Irish Agency for
International Development, the Finnish Government
and the European Union have been instrumental
in the provision of technical and financial
assistance to the national and provincial departments
of education.
The Ministry of Education plays a leading role
in developing the Southern African Development
Community Protocol on Education and Training, which aims to achieve equivalence, harmonisation
and standardisation of education in the region.
International partnerships and South-South
exchanges are fostered, particularly within the
African continent.
The Ministry of Education chairs the Bureau of
the Conference of Ministers of Education of the
African Union (AU), which is monitoring the implementation of the AU’s Second Decade of Education
Plan of Action (2006–2015). The department
has a strong collaborative relationship with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. A key initiative of the collaboration is the development of national Education for All (EFA) action plans.
As part of regional consultations on implementation, the department participates in assessing progress in the elaboration of the EFA plans of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and exchanges information on best practices in the development of these plans. [ Top ]
Libraries
Library and information
services (LIS) sector
South Africa’s growing Library and information
services (LIS) sector includes a national library, public/community libraries, school libraries, special libraries, government libraries and Higher Education libraries.
South Africa has more than 11 373 libraries, with 77 HE libraries, 9 416 school libraries, 79 government departmental libraries, one national library with two branches, and 1 800 public libraries provided by provincial and local government (library services and metro libraries). In addition, the department has provided classroom libraries to schools and has facilitated a programme of providing mobile libraries to provincial departments of education.
The nine provincial library authorities provide, in partnership with local governments, extensive public-library services. Public libraries, among other things, increasingly render community and general information services, and provide study material and facilities for school and tertiary students.
National Council for Library and Information Services (NCLIS)
The NCLIS was established by the NCLIS Act, 2001 (Act 6 of 2001). The object of the council is to advise the ministers of arts and culture and of education on LIS matters.
To this end, the council advises the ministers on the development, co-ordination and promotion of LIS, on legislation and policies, on the allocation of public funds, on LIS education and training, on the promotion of literacy and a culture of reading, and on the use of ICT to improve the quality of LIS.
National Library of South Africa (NLSA)
The National Library of South Africa (NLSA)was constituted in 1999, in terms of the NLSA Act, 1998 (Act 92 of 1998) [PDF]. This new institution emerged after the merger of the former State Library in Pretoria and the former South African Library in Cape Town, and includes a specialist unit, the Centre for the Book.
The NLSA is a custodian and provider of the nation’s key knowledge resources. It is mandated by the NLSA Act, 1998 to collect and preserve intellectual documentary heritage material, and to make it accessible worldwide. It ensures that knowledge and information are not lost to posterity and are available for further research.
The national library’s collection contains a wealth of information sources, including rare manuscripts, books, periodicals, government publications, foreign official publications, maps, technical reports and books on special interest, including Africana material and newspapers. These may also be available on CD, microfilm, in digital format or on the web.
The functions of the NLSA are to build a collection of published documents emanating from or relating to South Africa; to maintain and preserve these collections; and to provide access to them through bibliographic reference, information and inter-library-lending services, as well as to promote information awareness and information literacy.
The Centre for the Book in Cape Town is a specialised unit and promotes the culture of reading, writing and publishing in all official languages of South Africa.
In terms of the Legal Deposit Act, 1997 (Act 54 of 1997) [PDF], the NLSA receives two copies of each book, periodical, newspaper, map, manuscript material or other publication that is published in South Africa in any medium, whether print or electronic. The other legal deposit libraries are the Library of Parliament in Cape Town, the Mangaung Public Library in Bloemfontein and the Msunduzi Municipal Library.
The Legal Deposit Act, 1997 also provides for the establishment of official publications depositories
(OPDs).
The first OPD is at the Constitutional Court Library and the second is at the Phuthaditjhaba Public Library in the Free State.
Libraries in the Higher
Education sector
The HE libraries hold the bulk of South Africa’s
scientific and scholarly information resources
and fulfil more than half of all inter-library loan
requests. Pressure on HE libraries include redistribution
of educational resources, rising prices and
declining student numbers.
These libraries have responded by forming
consortia, looking at access and exploring digital
resources.
Special libraries are libraries that consist of
subject-specialised collections, including private
organisations’ libraries and libraries of government
departments. (See also Arts and
Culture.)
Government made an additional R200 million
available for libraries in 2008. Libraries were
expected to:
- offer improved access to libraries through better
staffing and more sensible opening hours
- update informational resources, especially
educational-support material
- install new library infrastructure
- promote children’s literature
- stock more books in indigenous languages.
The Library Charter, unveiled in 2008, sets the
new direction for the country’s community libraries.
Some R39 million has been set aside for the
upgrading of public entities and the South African Library for the Blind.
Source: South Africa Yearbook 2008/09
Editor: D Burger. Government Communication and Information
System
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Last modified: 28 July 2009 10:12:57. |
