DOCUMENTS

Pearson CEO Fatima Dada served on key committees - Angie Motshekga

Minister says head of major textbook publisher involved in review of national curriculum statement

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 1888
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 31/07/2012
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER:

Mr A van der Westhuizen (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

(1) Whether Ms Fatima Dada served on any departmental committees dealing with revisions to the curriculum and/or the provision of learning material to schools in the (i) 2007/2008, (ii) 2008/09, (iii) 2009/10, (iv) 2010/11 and (v) 2011/12 financial years; if not, why not; if so:

(a) on which committees did she serve;

(b) what was the purpose of those committees;

(c) what were the time periods concerned; and

(d) what was her remuneration?

REPLY

(a) YES

Ms Fatima Dada served on the following Ministerial Committees during two of the periods listed above, namely: 2009/10 and 2010/11:

(i) Ministerial Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement during the period 2009/2010;

(ii) Ministerial Committee for the Reduction of Learning Areas in the Intermediate Phase of the General Education and Training Band during the period 2009/2010; and

(iii) As replacement on the Ministerial Project Committee to Oversee the Review of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 during the period 2010/2011; and

(b) Purpose of the committees

Ministerial Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement:

The identification of the challenges and pressure points that negatively impacted on the quality of teaching in schools and to propose the mechanisms that could address the challenges.

Ministerial Project Committee to Oversee the Review of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12:

(i) To manage and oversee the development of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements;

(ii) To recommend writers and critical reader teams for the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements;

(iii) To receive and approve final Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements;

(iv) To liaise with and receive advice from Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) teams on the presentation (formatting and design) of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements; and

(v) To advise the Minister of Basic Education on any strategic matters to strengthen the implementation.

Ministerial Committee for the Reduction of Learning Areas in the Intermediate Phase of the General Education and Training Band

(i) The reduction of the number of subjects in the Intermediate Phase.

(ii) The revised weighting of School-Based Assessment (SBA) and the end-of-year examinations in the Foundation, Intermediate and Senior Phases;

(iii) The revised seven-point rating scale currently used in Grades 10-12 to be used in the other three school phases; and

(iv) The revised time allocations in the Foundation and Intermediate Phases

(c) Time periods:

(i) Ministerial Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement: 6 July 2009 to 29 October 2009;

(ii) Ministerial Project Committee to Oversee the Review of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12: 3 January 2010 to 23 June 2011. Ms Dada did not serve the whole term of office as she only assumed her appointment on 28 May 2010.

(iii) Ministerial Committee for the Reduction of Learning Areas in the Intermediate Phase of the General Education and Training Band:

3 February 2010 to 6 April 2010.

(d) Remuneration

Members of Ministerial Committees were remunerated in terms of the Public Management Financial Act - Chapter 20, which amounted to R1 666-00 per day.

Issued by Parliament, September 12 2012

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