Mrs Angie Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education, Opening Statement at The New Age Business Breakfast, Monte Casino, October 21 2013
Good morning South Africa.
Thank you for making this possible. It's important to have servants of the people accounting to the electorate. This is my turn, quite timely for education.
Some may recall that when I addressed the TNA Business Breakfast in January I said we had a very good start for schooling in 2013 and great prospects for improvement.
I reiterate that choices we made in recent years in education policy were correct. The standard can only go up. There's evidence also in our rising exams and assessment credibility.
From next week, 28 October, our learners will write matric exams, until 29 November, in 6699 examination centres. This is a critical time in their lives having given around 12 years to the schooling system. Even for parents, and society, it's important.
We request families to assist learners, by providing among other support systems a right climate for study at home. If we all play our roles, we will sustain the gains we've made in education and take huge steps in our quest for excellence.
The 2013 supplementary exam results increased the 2012 pass rate from 73.9 to 75.7%. We're doing more to build on this. Examinations are a massive operation. The total number of candidates registered for 2013 exams is 707 136. There are 576 490 full-time candidates and 130 646 part-time candidates.
The full-time enrolment represents an increase of 49 155 candidates compared to 2012. This is in keeping with the upward trend observed since 2011. Registered candidates for Maths are 245 663, that's an increase of 15 469. Enrolment in Physical Science has increased from 182 083 to 187 170.
Our exams are benchmarked against other systems internationally. For instance in 2007 and 2011, our Department benchmarked some NSC subjects with the Scottish Qualification Authority, Cambridge International Examinations and the Board of Studies New South Wales (Australia).
In keeping with our inclusive education policy, we adapted question papers for the blind, partially-sighted and deaf candidates. Brailing of adapted papers for the blind was completed in mid-September.
To minimise risk, provinces have adopted a new approach to delay printing. Storage facilities have been inspected and security improved at distribution points. To promote compliance with the exam code of conduct candidates signed a Pledge.
For tighter control, all scripts will be barcoded and scanned so that the number of scripts received will be controlled at key-points of the script-flow process.
We have norm-times for the return of scripts between the different collection points. This implies scripts must be returned to specific points on the return route, within specified times.
There are 118 marking centres. Training of markers is on-going and specialised training will be conducted before marking sessions. The results will be released on 7 January 2014.
There will be a new Statement of Results for the November 2013 NSC exams. It has special security features including the RSA Watermark and a unique serial number.
As I've said, we've done our best to prepare the system and learners. Targeted interventions were activated with provinces to support learners and schools throughout the year - a relatively stable year I must say, for education.
Provinces have conducted winter classes in order to improve learner performance particularly in underperforming schools.
In the third term we monitored curriculum coverage in under-performing schools across the country.
If you may recall Mr Ndoro, most of these interventions we announced when we addressed TNA Breakfast in January. We kept our word. We planned beyond 2013. We tested 2014 school readiness with the Council of Education Ministers.
But we also have our challenges. Among these is the need to pay more attention to undifferentiated teaching in schools; paying more attention to multi-grade schools and their dynamics; teacher recruitment, development and deployment.
Our learners must still perform at the required level in Language and Mathematics as shown by national, regional and international assessments. There's a need to step-up focused training on the areas identified in annual national assessments, like integration of the teaching of grammar skills and language conventions, teaching handwriting, increasing the volume of writing and enforcing daily mathematics lessons.
We have a challenge also of scaling-up support for poor learners in line with international trends where there is a gap between children from poor and affluent families and using budgets fully to turnaround schooling in line with the Action Plan to 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025.
Several processes are in place the ultimate aim being to improve learning outcomes and quality of schooling from the early years of the child. We'll continue improving the quality of Early Childhood Development.
Already we've developed a concept document on a revised funding strategy for Grade R. The proposal is to progressively change the funding model applicable to Grade R to be in line with the funding model applicable to Grades 1 to 12.
The development of conditions of service for Grade R practitioners is also being fast-tracked.
Ladies and gentlemen, next year we complete implementation of Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements when we roll-out in Grades 7-9 and 12.
The CAPS were introduced in 2012 in the Foundation Phase, with success. The content is simplified and clearer for teachers to teach and learners to learn better. Content coverage per term for each grade is mapped out in the CAPS. This should account for improved results in Grades 1 to 3 in 2012.
Our Department has developed draft CAPS for technical schools, which will cater for specialisation in civil technology, electrical technology, mechanical technology, technical science and technical mathematics.
We have developed a national instrument to monitor curriculum coverage in schools. This helps to monitor, guide, control and support teaching.
We have identified the Annual National Assessment (ANA) as a key strategic trajectory towards improving levels and quality of learning and teaching in all our schools.
We emphasize that this assessment involves regular testing of learners in the key foundational skills of literacy and numeracy. ANA is premised on research showing that for children, early competency in literacy and numeracy enhances chances of success in the schooling path.
We conducted last month a 3rd full-scale ANA involving more than 7 million Grade 1-6 and 9 learners from more than 20 000 schools. The results of the 2012 ANA showed general improvement in learner performance. There was a noticeable increase in Grade 3 in both Language and Mathematics.
My Department has released a National Reading Programme for Grades R to 12 further to strengthen reading and literacy outcomes at classroom and school level.
International tests are confirming improvements in the system, including the 2011 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study.
Our children also took part in continental and international competitions. They got second position in the 2013 Pan African Mathematics Olympiad. First place was Nigeria.
South Africa is now ranked 58 out of 97 countries in the International Mathematics Olympiad.
In 2014 South Africa will host the 55th International Mathematics Olympiad at the University of Cape Town.
To further improve performance in Maths, Science and Technology, I had set-up a Ministerial Task-team to investigate underperformance. Among other findings, it said that teacher training and support programmes were ineffective. Subject advisors for this area are insufficient and unqualified. Inadequate language provision and utilisation impacted MST. Small multi-grade schools made teaching and learning difficult.
We've developed an implementation plan in response to the recommendations of this task-team. Among other steps, the Department of Basic Education is planning to establish a Maths, Science and Technology department.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The main reasons for progress that we now see in the education sector include our sustained focus on the 3Ts of the Teacher, Text and Time on Task.
Through the implementation of a National Strategy for Learner Attainment we have increased curriculum coverage, Learner Teacher Support Materials' coverage and utilization.
Other fundamental innovations include the incremental introduction of African languages in schools, for all learners, in the interest of nation-building, social cohesion and creation of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist African state.
We've prioritised also teaching English across the curriculum to improve learner performance in various subjects, by ensuring English ceases to be a barrier to learning.
With the implementation of CAPS, English First Additional Language is offered as a subject in Grade 1 in schools wherein English is the Language of Learning and Teaching in Grade 4.
We're introducing also in 2014 South African Sign Language. The road is still long. But we're fulfilling our commitment to attain inclusive education. With Umalusi this month we awarded Braille certificates to young South Africans in Soshanguve who passed Grade 12 in 2012.
Guided by the Teacher Collaboration Framework, we've prioritised teacher development with the support of unions and non-profit organisations that run capacity-building programmes for teachers in districts and schools.
The 2012/13 programme contributed to the training of 55 922 union members. To increase development capacity, all three major teacher unions have established professional teacher development institutes - SAOU, SADTU and NAPTOSA.
The teacher qualification profile has improved greatly between 1990 and 2010, from 53.0 to 95.1.
Capacity building programmes have been developed for school managers namely ACE - Leadership and Management.
A support programme has also been established for female principals, including a networking session where they meet and share good practices.
Fellow South Africans,
We consider well-maintained and efficiently-operated school facilities as major contributors to the quality of education.
This is because school facilities are an essential pillar of quality learning and teaching. Of the targeted 49 inappropriate structures in the Eastern Cape, 37 have reached practical completion and are in use.
A total of 156 water and 188 sanitation projects have been completed in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Western Cape and Gauteng.
With happy children we can do more, particularly mindful of past inequalities in the provision of services. Thanks to the pro-poor policies of the ANC government, over 8 million children are receiving free education in no-fee schools. 80.9% of our schools are now no-fee schools. The 2013 projected non-personnel expenditure on no-fee schools is over R9 billion.
For the first time, the education sector has developed an Integrated Strategy on HIV, STIs and TB. This is for providing strategic guidance on the twin epidemics of TB & HIV.
We're implementing an Integrated School Health Programme with the Departments of Health and Social Development. This is to provide comprehensive school health services to all learners in schools.
Our Department is promoting history and national identity through the Nkosi Albert Luthuli Oral History Competition, the National South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod and other arts and culture initiatives to help foster social cohesion.
With the SA Police Services, we've linked about 16 000 schools to police stations and activated School Safety Committees. To improve school governance, in 2012 we amended the National Norms and Standards for School Funding (para.145) to provide for funding of school governing bodies and recognized voluntary associations of school governing bodies.
We've prioritised the use of technology as an enabler in the classroom. We're capitalising on the potential of ICTs to enrich the curriculum by increasing access to knowledge beyond what teachers and textbooks can provide, and through computer-based tools that make the learning process more exciting.
Our work in this area includes the further development of Thutong Portal to facilitate access among other resources to key curriculum documents.
Many schools are also benefitting from partnerships we've entered into with companies on ICT. Our challenges include the fact that not all schools are connected.
Notwithstanding current challenges, improving the quality of basic education remains the top priority of the nation on which our Department is charged to and will deliver. This we say with confidence knowing that the nation is behind us.
With the launch in July (2013) of the National Education Collaboration Framework and its Trust, our call was strengthened to make education a societal issue.
Even before this launch of the Collaboration Framework, our Department had established over 170 partnerships with business, government departments, NGOs, the media and communities.
Basic Education continues to benefit from donor funds and technical support for specific programmes as well as support from research institutions and NGOs in the sector.
This is because being a major priority of government, basic education in South Africa attracts a significant amount of interest from international donor agencies and foreign departments of education among others. Major support comes from the European Union, USAID, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Education Ministry of China.
Working together we can do more. Our solidarity as South Africans was born in the bitter trenches of the struggle.
Through unity we brought this country to where it is today, free from separate amenities for racial groups, free from segregated schools and communities.
It's us who had ensured all our people have a right to vote.
To enjoy this right you must register as voters and cast your votes in 2014 when we again confirm the people's government - a government that knows where we come from as a people.
In closing, I wish all learners success in their end-of-year exams, particularly the Class of 2013 on whom we have invested our hopes of a better life for all South Africans.
You can go home satisfied we have a solid foundation for an education system for a knowledge-based global economy.
Education standards are continuing to improve because of strategic plans and interventions we have put in place as I have reported to the nation.
Transforming education is a journey, not a destination.
I thank you!
Issued by the Department of Education, October 21 2013
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