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Today, the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal MP, held a meeting with the Council of Education Ministers in Cape Town. The meeting, which is held every six weeks, was attended by the provincial MECs of Education.

The Council of Education Ministers (CEM) extensively discussed the public response to the latest series of Yizo Yizo 2. It discussed the concerns of some viewers that the series focuses on scenes that may give rise to some alarm and discomfort. The Council expressed its belief that it is the duty of the Department of Education to promote rather than banish dialogue, to facilitate rather than stifle discussion and to clarify rather than obscure matters which deeply affect our families, communities and schooling.

The Council is convinced that the series will continue to play an important role in promoting a climate conducive to teaching and learning in our schools and by drawing attention to how the family and broader community can impact schooling.

The CEM has therefore called on the public to respond positively to Yizo Yizo by using the opportunity created by it to discuss the challenges we face openly and frankly.

Amongst the issues discussed was the progress that is being made in implementing the strategy to promote Science and Mathematics in schools. Council has, for example, agreed to target bursary funding towards Science and Mathematics teachers.

In addition, upgrading and conversion courses will be designed and implemented in order to increase the number of well-qualified teachers. Retired teachers and those who accepted voluntary severance packages will be encouraged to return to teaching. The possibility of recruiting well-qualified teachers from abroad will be considered. The development of criteria to select one hundred focus schools is now underway and provinces are in consultation with the Department. The Council has also appealed to suitably qualified persons to make themselves available as Science and Mathematics mentors who will engage in school-based support programmes.

Council also resolved that the Department should carry out two major research projects: to identify the nature of gender disparities and possible remedial measures; and to carry out an audit of teacher supply and demand.

The Council also noted that school report cards should be meaningful to learners, parents and teachers. They should reflect an accurate description of the achievement of learners in a manner that is developmental and that respects the dignity of each learner. Concerns that some reports fall short of these basic requirements, it was agreed that proposals will be developed to ensure that reports issued by schools should meet educational and human-rights criteria.

The Council noted the intention of the Minister of Education to seek Cabinet approval of the publication of a Green Paper on Early Childhood Development (ECD). The main ECD priority addressed in this Green Paper is the establishment of a national system of provision of the reception year for children aged five years. The medium term goal by 2010 is for all children entering Grade One to have participated in an accredited reception year programme.

In order to improve the quality of reception year programmes, the Green Paper proposes that all reception year programmes be required to register with provincial departments of education, that accredited reception year educators be registered South African Council of Educators and educators, who do not have a specialised qualification to teach the reception year, undergo approved training programmes.

The Council requested the national Department of Education to investigate the operation of the South African Schools Act concerning the issuing of language in education and the appointment of staff by school governing bodies with a view to ensuring greater equity. Such an exercise could result in reviewing the legislation.

The Council received a report on the National Plan for Higher Education, which had been published earlier this month. The Council welcomed the proposal that the provinces of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga, which have no higher education institutions at present, should enter discussions for the establishment in each province of a National Institute of Higher Education.

Enquiries: Molatwane Likhethe on 082 573 0397

Issued by Ministry of Education, 19 March 2001