news

DECEMBER 2011 ISSUE 11update Newspaper of the WCED

Nomaweza Victoria Man-gqwengqwe, Somikazi Mtya and Nomvume Sop-hazi were named winners

in the category: excellence in Grade R teaching. The trio teached at Umnqo-phiso Pre-Primary School in Lwandle, Strand. The school is named “The School of Miracles”.

Team Umnqophiso is led by Man-gqwengwe, who started a pre-school for children from the disadvantaged community without earning a salary. She was later joined by Mtya, who was equally passionate and also prepared to teach without a salary. They were later joined by Nomvume.

The school started in 1996 with one Grade R classroom and expanded to fi ve Grade R classes and one pre Grade R class. The staff work in close partnership with the parents and they use various projects and programmes to address specifi c needs within the community. This also saw the birth of Phakamani, which is a training programme for adult learning and skills development.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Western Cape Education Minister Don-ald Grant said the province was lucky to have so many dedicated teachers.

“They infl uence our thoughts, our outlook on life, they inspire us, and they encourage us to be the best we can be, and for that they are in turn loved and revered by the learners that pass through their classroom door each year.”

He said each and every one of the 47 individuals honoured at the award cer-emony has demonstrated commitment and dedication to the teaching profes-sion. “We are delighted to publicly thank the outstanding teams or individual teachers in our schools.”

Grant said good teachers constantly evolved and were open to developing their teaching skills throughout their careers. “I have been overwhelmed this year at the positive response we have had in this province to all our teaching conferences and workshops and it demonstrates the level of commitment we have here in the province for the provision of quality education.”

“I do honestly feel that, for whatever reason, there recently is a renewed sense of hope and determination amongst our teaching corps and I believe that this will ultimately lead to

better learner outcomes. I hope we can all, together, harness this positive attitude in the year to come.”

About 32 000 teachers in the Western Cape were eligible for nomination.

The department presented awards in eight categories following a rigorous selection process in all the education districts of the province and regional fi nals involving clusters of districts.

The awards recognised excellence in teaching and education leadership and formed part of the National Teaching Awards programme managed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

The names of the provincial winners will go forward to the national competition.

The panel included representatives of all sectors of the education commu-nity, including all teacher trade unions, school governing body associations and WCED offi cials.

Western Cape honours province’s top teachers Three “miracle workers” were amongst the top teachers honoured by the Western Cape Education Department during the provincial round of the National Teaching Awards at the end of October.

category: excellence in grade r teachingTeam: Nomaweza Mangqwengqwe, Somikazi Mtya, Nomvume Sophazi Umnqophiso Pre-Primary School, Lwandle, Strand

category: excellence in priMary school teachingAlletta du ToitHexvallei High School, De Doorns

category: excellence in secondary school teachingRoland RuddWynberg Boys’ High School, Wynberg

category: excellence in priMary school leadershipKevin PretoriusRocklands Primary School, Mitchells Plain

category: excellence in secondary school leadershipArchie BenjaminMountview High School, Hanover Park

category: excellence in special needs teachingLeigh DunnFormosa Primary School, Plettenberg Bay

category: excellence in adult basic education & trainingBernadette BaileyWorcester Community Learning Centre, Worcester

category: lifetiMe achieveMent awardRosaline MakanDellville Park Primary School, Pacaltsdorp

* Photos and citations of each winner on page 5

tEAChing AWArDs 2011

Make us proud class of 2011 ! See page 2

Bredasdorp athlete bags gold

See page 16

Challenges of literacy in schools

See page 10

South African Sign Language Pilot Project

See page 5

insight spOrtnEWsinsiDE | nEWs

EDUCATION

Left: Somikazi Mtya, Nomvume Sophazi and Nomaweza Victoria Mangqwengqwe of Umnqophiso Pre-Primary School in Lwandle, Strand.

DE C EMBER 20 1 1 newsupdateEDUCATION

2

This is the second year that all three Grades were tested in the same year.

Western Cape Education Minister Donald Grant visited Zonnebloem Girls’ Primary School on the first day of the 10 day testing period and said he was pleased with the successful start of the assessments.

Grade 3 learners at the school told Grant that they expected to get good results.

In 2010, the results in Grade 3 revealed increases in both literacy and numeracy with 54.9% of learners achieving 50% or more in literacy, an increase of 1.4% from 2008, and in numeracy, a remarkable 13.3% increase from 35% to 48.3%.

Grade 6 results in numeracy improved from 17.4% in 2009 to 24.4% in 2010 and from 48.6% in literacy to 52.3%.

In 2010, Grade 9 testing was introduced for the very first time as a pilot which covered the Language of Learning and Teaching (English and Afrikaans) and Mathematics. Following the success of this pilot, 81 936 Grade 9 learners were to be tested this year.

The first comparative data for Grade 9 will be available next year.

Independent schools were invited to participate in the Grade 6 and 9 testing for the first time last year. This year, Grade 3 learners wrote as well. The number of independent schools writing has increased from 41 in 2010 to 77 in 2011, representing 4 630 learners.

The systemic tests are administered by outside service providers, which guarantee the independence of the tests and improves their credibility. Approximately 800 test administrators including supervisors have been recruited, trained and allocated to schools.

Grant said the importance of the testing cannot be underestimated.

“The tests are systemic in nature and are designed to provide diagnostic assessment of the provincial education system so that the Western Cape Education Department can be best informed as how to plan their literacy and numeracy strategy in the years ahead.”

Teachers are given a descriptive analysis of their results so that they know where their weaknesses lie, as well as exemplars to use as a benchmark during the year.

Principals are briefed on the results and targeted assistance and support is offered to schools that have not shown improvement. Community meetings are also held to inform parents about how they can help improve the literacy and numeracy skills of their children.

Annual provincial literacy and numeracy tests

The National Senior Cer-tificate examination has reached its final stretch and it will soon become

evident if the significant resources put into preparing Grade 12s for their final exams would translate into good results.

The examinations will end on the 1st of December, with candidates expected to be available up to the 9th of December for any unex-pected eventuality.

The marking period will be from the 7th to the 14th of December, with results expected to be released on the 5th of January 2012.

Western Cape Education Minister Donald Grant said he was confident the Class of 2011 would do well. “They have worked hard and have remained focused throughout the school year. We are especially pleased with the enthusiasm shown in our Grade 12 programmes. This year we saw a marked increase in attendance at our tutoring and telematics pro-grammes and holiday schools.”

The department hoped to build on last year’s results which saw a reversal in the six year decline in the matric pass rate in the province. More candidates than ever wrote the NSC exams, passed the exams and achieved access to higher education. There was an increase in the pass rate in math-ematics and science, an increase in the number of distinctions, an increase in the number of schools with a 90% and above pass rate and the number of underperform-ing schools were reduced.

Although this year’s cohort of 41 000 candidates was significantly smaller than last year’s 47 000 can-didates due to a drop in the Grade 1 intake in January 2000, the depart-ment hoped to achieve at least 861 more passes than last year.

To achieve this target, the department committed con-siderable resources to support Grade 12 learners, especially at underperforming schools. Meas-ures included the provision of

textbooks and a “tips for success’ booklet. The department contin-ued its tutoring programme and a telematics programme. Both these projects involved quality educators with excellent presenta-tion skills and subject knowledge in the various subjects on offer. A number of additional support measures such as exemplar ques-tion papers, DVDs and workbooks have been provided to schools.

The Grade 12 intervention programme also targeted educa-tors and school management teams, offering increased support in terms of management pro-grammes, teacher development courses, the development of subject specific support plans and the provision of exemplar assess-

ment tasks.About 800 learners attended

a Grade 12 Motivational Day at the Western Cape Sport School shortly before the start of the exams. Dr. Sigamoney Naicker, Chief Director: Curriculum Devel-opment, reminded learners that a lot of effort had gone into prepar-ing them for the exams and if they did not put in the required four to six hours a day to study and revise their work, they would not be doing justice to themselves, their family and teachers.

Learners expressed apprecia-tion for the department’s revision programme. Lauren Philander of Blackheath High School said she started studying well in advance and that every bit of help was welcome.

Make us proud class of 2011 !

“More than 1 000 teachers flocked to the two reading conferences at the ctli.”

Right: Grade 12 learners at Groote Schuur High School are all smiles

shortly after they wrote the English Home Language paper.

Above: Taahir Rahim completes the last few questions of the English Home Language Paper One. This was the first

major final exam paper written by matric candidates this year.

More than 240 000 Grade 3, 6 and 9 learners wrote the annual provincial literacy and numeracy tests in October, to reveal which schools need help and the kind of remedial interventions that are necessary.

“we saw a Marked increase in attendance at our tutoring and teleMatics prograMMes and holiday schools.”

Left: A Grade 3 learner at Zonnebloem Girls’ Primary School relaxes shortly after she wrote the annual provincial literacy and numeracy assessment.

DECEMBER 20 1 1 3 newsupdateEDUCATION

Four Primary Schools and seven Secondary Schools are expected to open at the beginning of

the 2012 academic year. Ten of the eleven new schools

form part of the WCED’s infra-structure plan, which includes the building of 25 new schools and 20 replacement schools in the current Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

An audit of the province’s infrastructure at the end of 2009 indicated that there was a need for new schools to meet the demands of increased enrolment in certain areas caused by, amongst other things, inward migration and new housing developments.

Since the announcement of the department’s infrastructure plan in February 2010, the department has already planned and completed the building of eight new schools in the province, eleven are currently in the fi nal stages of construction (includ-ing ten mentioned below) and an additional 12 schools are in their planning stages. In addition, the new Hout Bay Primary school will be completed by the start of the 2012 school year, which has been built using private funding.

At the start of the 2012 school year the following new schools will open their doors to learners of the Western Cape.

Seven of the eleven new schools will be enrolling learners for the fi rst time. These schools include:

Although Melkbosstrand HS will offi cially open and begin teaching and learning at the start of the school year, learners are expected to move into the new school build-ing only in April 2012. The school will be temporarily located at Bloubergrant High School, where a separate section of this school has been allocated to house the new Melkbosstrand HS learners.

The other four new schools expected to open at the beginning of 2012 include those that already have already been operating for a number of years, but have been temporarily located in mobile

classrooms. These schools were established after a sudden increase in population in the area. Tempo-rary mobiles were put in place to accommodate the learners and educators concerned. Learners from all existing grades will simply move from the old premises to their new one at the beginning of the year. These schools include:

All the necessary logistical requirements, such as school furniture, equipment and learner support materials will be deliv-ered just before the start of the school year.

update is the offi cial newspaper of the Western Cape Education Department.

wcednews@pgwc.gov.zaTel: 021 467 2707

director of coMMunicationPaddy Attwell

editorMillicent Merton

contributorsWayne BlauwMichael CameronBronagh CaseySumaya DavidsCaroline FowlerSusan HanekomUrsula HoadleyMariëtte KleinhansSoretha KotzéPenny LiknaitzkyVuyelwa MadasiHennie MentzMariette NosworthyAyesha PriceMinna SteynMarike RouxIsmail TeladiaEstelle van SchoorVoice of the Cape

design Infestation, Tel: 021 461 8601

Above: With these brand new mattresses, boarders at the Merweville

School Hostel can get a good night’s rest.

The Western Cape Education Department has identifi ed school hostels as a means of improving access to schooling, especially in rural areas.

“However, it is more than just improving access. We wish to make the learners stay at the hostels as comfortable as possible. We want them to feel at home,” said Vuyelwa Madasi, Qids UP Project Manager.

Between 2010 and 2011 a total of 64 hostels have been refurbished. In 2012, a further 40 schools will be targeted. Eventually, all schools with hostels

across the province will benefi t. Madasi said principals, teachers

and learners were very enthusiastic about these improvements, with some schools reporting an increase in demand for places. “Learners have renewed vigour for their study space and improved living conditions.

“Improved academic performance is another spin off of the improved living conditions at the hostel.”

Refurbishment included the upgrade of ablution facilities, hot water geysers, minor repairs, and new beds and mattresses.

Refurbished school hostels offer a home away from home

online system simplifi es western cape textbook orders

eleven new schools set to open in the western cape at start of the 2012 school year

naphakade secondary (West Coast) - enrolment for learners in Grade 8-12 currently open.

aberdare priMary enrolment for learners in Grade R-7 currently open. (Grade R learners to be enrolled for the fi rst time.)

hindle road west priMary enrolment for learners in Grade R-7 currently open. (Grade R learners to be enrolled for the fi rst time.)

hindle road secondary In 2012, the school will expand to Grade 12, therefore enrolment for Grade 8-12 now open.

blue downs priMary school (Metro East)

northpine technical high school (Metro East)

citrusdal high school (West Coast)

delft technical high school (Metro North)

fisantekraal secondary (Metro North)

Melkbosstrand high school (Metro North)

hout bay priMary school (Metro Central)

Citrusdal

Langebaan

Malmesbury

Fisantekraal

Blue Downs

DelftCape Town

Melkbosstrand

Saldanha

New schools enrolling for the first time

New schools moving from existing premises at the beginning of the year

key

Fisantekraal

updateEDUCATION

Schools will receive textbooks for Grade 10 learners in good time for 2012 thanks to a

new online textbook ordering system.

The Western Cape Education Department introduced the system to make it easier for schools to order textbooks.

The system offers schools a good choice of textbooks from the national catalogue of CAPS-approved textbooks while also mak-ing it as easy as possible to place orders online.

The department has negotiated excellent prices with publishers, resulting in savings of between R5 million and R6 million.

The department will plough the funds back into further book pur-chases.

Schools generally met the deadline of 26 September to place orders for Grade 10 textbooks. At the time of going to print, the department was on track to deliver the textbooks by 30 November.

The WCED is investing heavily in textbooks over a three-year period has part of its programme to ensure text-rich schools.

The department is supplying text-books free of charge to schools for the Foundation Phase and Grade 10

in 2012, as part of this programme.The investment for 2012 includes

readers in home and fi rst additional languages in the Foundation Phase and Grade 1 Mathematics textbooks.

The department is also provid-ing textbooks free of charge to every Grade 10 learner. (delete: for all except fi ve subjects, for which demand is limited).

Schools may also buy additional books from the national catalogue using norms and standards fund-ing, if they wish to. All books on the national catalogue meet CAPS requirements.

DE C EMBER 20 1 1 newsupdateEDUCATION

4

teachers prepare for caps implementation

Western Cape Education Minister Donald Grant and Head of Education in the province Penny

Vinjevold visited training venues in the Southern Cape and the greater Cape Town area.

Grant said the turnout of more than 90% to the training sessions provided yet another example of the professionalism and commitment of teachers.

“The CAPS strengthens and stream-lines the delivery of the national cur-riculum,” Vinjevold said.

“CAPS has the potential to improve literacy and numeracy performance, with its special focus on reading and writing. CAPS complements our literacy and numeracy strategy perfectly. We are supporting CAPS and the strategy further by investing massively in textbooks, workbooks and reading books as part of our plan to ensure text-rich classrooms.”

Schools will phase CAPS in over three years, starting with Grades R to 3 and Grade 10 in January 2012.

In 2013, schools will implement CAPS in Grades 4 to 9 and Grade 11, followed by Grade 12 in 2014.

Training for all Grades 1 to 3 Foun-dation Phase teachers began on Monday, 3 October, and ended on Wednesday, 5 October, World Teach-ers Day.

“We have every reason to acknowl-edge and celebrate our teachers on this day,” said Grant who visited a training session at Groote Schuur High School to mark the day.

Nearly 2 700 principals and deputy

The Cape Teaching and Leader-ship Institute (CTLI) in Kuils River organised a Principals’ Conference on 6 and 7 October.

The conference was attended by more than 150 principals from across the province.

Delivering the opening address, Education Head Penny Vinjevold asked whether principals were too busy to spend enough time getting into what she called the rhythm of teaching. She said on the whole, there were encouraging signs that schools were making progress in turning their results around.

Guest speakers included the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape, Prof Brian O’Connell, and Woolworth’s Direc-tor: Human Resources, Sam Ngu-meni. O’Connell said as a leader, a principal should get to what is real and then challenge their com-munity to engage in this. “You have to have the community standing behind you.”

Ngumeni, who was one of the presenters at the principals’ seminar in June this year, said while plans and strategies may change, the core values of a school should remain the same. The Qual-ity Management seminar was a partnership between the Western Cape Education Department and Woolworths to offer principals the opportunity to learn and share knowledge about the key essentials for the successful imple-mentation of quality management in a school.

Conference convenor André Lamprecht of the CTLI said the programme was packed with pres-entations and panel discussions facilitated by serving principals and education experts. He said the feedback was positive with princi-pals remarking that they found the conference to be very informative and that they left with practical examples.

Principal: the lead manager of an achieving School

More than 8 000 teachers attended holiday training sessions across the province as they prepare to implement the national Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in the Foundation Phase and Grade 10 next year.

Above: Western Cape Education Minister Donald Grant celebrated World Teachers Day with teachers at Groote Schuur High School.

Michelle Pietersen, a lead teacher at Silverlea Primary School in Athlone, was one of the CAPS training facilitators at Spes Bona High School. She said the feedback from teachers was good and they were generally keen to learn and improve their skills.

FEEDBACK

Sea Point Primary School Principal, Almarie Mead based her presentation, titled “The Principal of Fun - 134 ideas to help grow a school with heart”, on her recently published book.

the category ideas covered: FUN (ideas to help make school a

fun place for children to learn and work in),

ETHOS (ideas to establish and wonderful caring atmosphere for all to enjoy),

EDUCATION (ideas to make school exciting and interesting and to allow for children to experience learning in a way that is different),

POLICY (some tried and tested policies that have really worked for Sea Point Primary School),

PARENTS (ideas of how to involve parents in the school),

FUNDRAISING (A few very successful fundraising ideas), and

STAFF (ideas of how to have fun with your staff, how to motivate and appreciate those who teach and work at your school)

alMarie Mead’s ten tips for principal to consider in growing a school with heart:1. It is all about relationships -

building them daily.2. Do what you do with passion and

your whole heart.3. Have fun with your children, your

staff and all those involved in your school.

4. Learn to be a little mad when no one expects it.

5. Make sure your policies and procedures look after and ensure the basics get done every day.

6. Remember that each of us wants to be appreciated, recognised and cared about.

7. Work as hard as you can and do it for your own enjoyment.

8. Always lead by example - even when you think no one is watching.

9. Remember the three rules of discipline: Consistency, Consistency, Consistency.

10. Have a saying that represents who you are, mine is: “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

THE PR INC IPAL OF FUN

“there are encouraging signs that we are Making progress”

Above: More than 150 principals from across the province attended the conference.

principals of schools with Foundation Phase grades also attended a one-day orientation workshop on CAPS.

Meanwhile, curriculum advisors have organised orientation programmes for school management teams and Grade 10 teachers in each education district.

The orientation sessions commenced during the third term and training ses-sions for various subjects were scheduled during the holidays.

More than 100 Grade 10 teachers at-tended sessions for smaller enrolment subjects, including Tourism, Dance Studies, Design, Visual Arts, Sesotho and Setswana and Mechanical/Electrical Technology.

About 120 teachers from across the province attended a conference on the new History CAPS content for Grades 10 to 12 at Herschel Girls School in Clare-mont.

The “Back to the Future” conference

was hosted by Shikaya, a non-profit organisation, together with the WCED. It included lectures, documentary screenings, and discussions from individuals such as Ahmed Kathrada, Adekeye Adebajo, Chris Bishop, pro-fessors and historians from universi-ties across South Africa and expert teachers.

In addition to the CAPS training, the department has organised a two-day Mathematics Solutions Conference at the Cape Teaching and Leadership In-stitute (CTLI) in Kuils River. About 300 Grade 4 to Grade 9 teachers attended the conference.More than 8 000 teachers attended holiday training sessions across the province as they prepare to implement the national Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in the Foundation Phase and Grade 10 next year.

“caps coMpleMents our literacy and nuMeracy strategy perfectly.”

“if iMpleMented correctly, results will iMprove. it is a step in the right direction that the whole country would be following the saMe prograMMe.”

Left: A Life Skills training session at Spes Bona High School in Athlone.

DECEMBER 20 1 1 5 newsupdateEDUCATION

Nomaweza Mangqwengqwe, Somi-kazi Mtya, Nomvume Sophazi (team) Umnqophiso Pre-Primary School, Lwandle, Strand

Team Umnqophiso is led by No-maweza who is an outstanding leader and visionary. She was later joined by Somikazi, who was equally passionate and also prepared to teach without a salary. They shared a common dream as they wanted to start a pre-school for the children who come from a disadvantaged community. They were later joined by Nomvume.

The school is named “The School of miracles” in Lwandle. From one Grade R classroom, Umnqophiso Pre Primary has now expanded to five Grade R classes and one pre Grade R class. The school is seen as an integral part of the broader community.

The staff works closely in partner-ship with the parents. They use various projects and programmes to address specific needs within the community. This also saw the birth of Phakamani, which is a training programme for adult learning and skills development

From humble beginnings as domestic workers, these ladies persevere to improve their profes-sional development, thereby attaining greater achievements for the learners. Nomaweza will complete her B.Ed Degree Foundation Phase degree this year, Somikazi has started with the degree course this year and Nomvume has enrolled for 2012.

Alletta du Toit | Hexvallei High School, De Doorns

Ms Aletta du Toit has been in education for 25 years and heads the Foundation Phase at Hexvallei High School. She is a role model to her colleagues and to the greater community of De Doorns. She makes an effort to visit every child’s home in order to develop a relationship and a deeper understanding of the context of every learner in her class. She believes that parents must be equal partners in education in order for their children to attain their full academic potential. With this philosophy in mind, she and the parents have managed to maintain an 80-100% LitNum pass rate for the past 5 years.

Aletta’s excellence has been noted in both her district and nationally: at district level she serves as a lead teacher in the Foundation Phase. Nationally, she has

been selected by the Department of Basic Education to write, translate and moderate the ANA Afrikaans Literacy exam papers for the Foundation Phase. Furthermore, she has also been selected by DBE as a national marker for the ANA. Provincially she is part of the core training team to facilitate the CAPS roll- out for Foundation Phase teachers in her district.

Her passion for the plight of children has resulted in the establishment of the Brave Heart Foundation, of which she is the director. Under her leadership a home was created for HIV/AIDS infected and affected children. Aletta believes in developing the child holistically through academics and sport. She is both the Provincial and National Netball u/18 coach and her team has won gold at the National games. She is also a National u/17 netball selector, national referee, and facilitates coaching clinics facilitator.

Roland Rudd | Wynberg Boys’ High School, Wynberg

Mr Roland Rudd’s dedication and com-mitment towards the holistic develop-ment of the learners entrusted to him, commenced in 2006 at Wynberg Boys’ High School. He has taken engineering graphics design to the proverbial higher level and has made Wynberg Boys’ High School the engineering hub of the district.

He is committed to the creation of a learning-centred environment and en-couraging learners to become studious. He has set an example by continuing with his own studies and is now also a qualified architect.

Mr Roland Rudd has received many accolades for his teaching abilities. Colleagues have intimated that he has established a very supportive classroom where learners are encouraged to take the initiative and be responsible for their own learning.

Mr Rudd’s dynamic strategies, the qual-ity of his teaching and his ability to chal-lenge and inspire learners deserve to be mentioned. Apart from being a counselor at the hostel, his extra-curricular activities include the coaching of swimming, ten-nis, hockey, water polo and soccer.

Further evidence of his leadership and active involvement within the profession is his mentoring and coaching of young teachers.

Kevin Pretorius | Rocklands Primary School, Mitchells Plain

Mr Kevin Pretorius has been in the teaching fraternity for nearly 29 years. He has adopted the following phrase from Tina Turner: “Simply the best …better than all the rest”. The school’s 2010 LitNum results bear testimony to this phrase. For Literacy and Numera-cy the school obtained 93% and 79% respectively and aimed to improve and maintain these results.

He is a life-long learner and believes in this principle as an educator and leader. Both he and his deputy principal are currently enrolled in the ACE School Leadership programme.

Kevin understands that partnerships with parents, community, NGOs, FBOs, and other funders are important for the total development of the learner. This has culminated in the establishment of a TELKOM Computer Laboratory and exchange programmes with institutions in Japan and Sweden, to name but a few projects. He also obtained R10 million in funding to build an AMPHITHEATRE at his school; the only school to have such a theatre in Mitchells Plain. Construction has already commenced.

The school has a sustainable garden that supplies the feeding scheme kitchen with vegetables

The school believes in the old African saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. This is evident in all spheres of the school’s milieu.

Archie Benjamin | Mountview High School, Hanover Park

Mr Benjamin is driven toward securing a better future for all. According to Mr Benjamin, discipline is a priority because it contributes immensely to a sound educational environment. Schooling and learner achievement are given precedence as the core business of this institution. As a result, the learners have been able to take their rightful place in higher education institutions, some of who the first in their family line to achieve such accolades.

Teachers, parents and learners are confi-dent of a good holistic education within a safe environment at Mountview High School.

Networking in creating partnerships and forging relationships not only within the borders of South Africa but across the globe is a hallmark of this dynamic leader. Financial constraints and lack of other resources are not seen as a burden but as a marketing tool from which the learners, educators and parents can benefit.

In his approach to teaching, he thinks beyond simple compliance with policies and acts to the achievement of transparency through communication and a learning-centered approach.

Mr Benjamin has proven that the school is a beacon of hope where learners can dare dream beyond their own realities.

Leigh Dunn | Formosa Primary School, Plettenberg Bay

Mr Leigh Dunn is an innovative, pas-sionate and pro-active educator and his teaching impacts positively on learners of the school. He is responsible for the ELSEN UNIT at Formosa Primary School. Leigh has designed a baseline Assess-ment for the Unit’s special needs learners.

Leigh is well known throughout the District and has been asked on numerous occasions to share his knowledge and skills within the District. He has also been asked by the Cape Teaching and Leader-ship Institute to present on how to teach learners with learning problems to read.

He makes a huge contribution in the field of learners with special needs and works closely with occupational thera-pists and specialists. Many partnerships were formed with community-based organizations and non-governmental organizations like Born Africa and BITOU 10 Foundation.

His love for children and his vision to make a tangible difference in the community of Plettenberg Bay and the surrounding areas is noticeable in recent local newspaper articles. He is one of the editors of an interschool magazine, in which he shares his ideas and offers advice.

This young man worked abroad and gained much experience and expertise in his field. After returning to South Africa he realised that he had an interest and place in special needs education.

He believes “even the smallest star shines in the dark”.

Bernadette Bailey | Worcester Community Learning Centre, Worcester

Ms Bailey, the Worcester CLC Centre Manager, is rendering an excellent service. Her impressive and transformational man-agement style makes her an ambassador for adult basic education and training. Her sound judgment has contributed to the substantial increase in the number of learners who have enrolled at the Worces-ter CLC. The said CLC comprises of 13 sites and provides learning opportunities to 1371 learners from Levels 1 – 4 and Grade 12.

Ms Bailey is a team player and a team leader. She is always willing to make the CLC’s resources available to various gov-ernment departments, and most notice-ably the WCED.

Amongst others, the Worcester CLC has commenced with very successful skills development programmes, which con-tribute to poverty alleviation by creating opportunities for learners to be economi-cally active. In order to create more op-portunities, the CLC introduced Travel and Tourism at Level 4.

The manner in which the learning centre has proactively and creatively engaged with the learners has made this a commu-nity-friendly learning centre.

excellence in grade r teaching

excellence in priMary school teaching

excellence in secondary school teaching

excellence in priMary school leadership

excellence in special needs teaching

Rosaline Makan | Dellville Park Primary School, Pacaltsdorp

During the illustrious and influential career of Ms Rosaline Makan, that spans over 47 years, she endeavoured to provide an excellent service to the school communi-ties she served.

Ms Makan has used her vast experi-ence, knowledge and skills to identify the strengths and weaknesses of her learners and identifying appropriate strategies to address these challenges.

She has led by example and has encour-aged her colleagues to render services to the community. This manifested itself in the range of critical goals of the school. She has also effectively influenced many senior management teams into becoming more focused on results than on effort.

She is a life-long learner and has dem-onstrated this by continually improving her qualifications. Even in her year of retirement she still encouraged educators to attend a computer course with her. She has also completed ACE courses in Language, Mathematics and curriculum leadership.

Her commitment, dedication and mana-gerial ability have earned her the respect of teachers, learners and parents. Rosaline Makan is indeed a most deserving recipi-ent of this prestigious award.

excellence in adult basic education & training

excellence in secondary school leadership

lifetiMe achieveMent award

Top teachers in the provinceThe WCED has announced the

“parents Must be equal partners

in education for children

to attain their full acadeMic

potential.”

“even the sMallest star shines in the dark.”

updateEDUCATION

6

An initiative to pilot South Afri-can Sign Language (SASL) as a school subject in the General Education and Training Band is

underway at De La Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester.

The project focuses on the implementa-tion and testing of the SASL Concept Cur-riculum and the development and testing of knowledge and understanding of the linguistic/grammar of Sign Language.

linguistics/graMMar of sign language The implementation and test of the suggested curriculum serves as focal point and as far as possible, SASL is brought in as a subject in the foundation phase as well the intermediate phase, according to the time recommended for Home Language users.

After starting in January, the project is currently showing steady growth. The language is already used with confi dence by especially the beginners. The toddlers master and recognise the use of the grammar rules through play. Toddlers who entered the school without a formal language master the language through repetition and by using it in the classroom.

To ensure that the communication skills of the learners and staff are entrenched, the teacher and the class assistant attend the Sign Language classes with the learners.

The Sign Language team developed a book and DVD to support Sign Language as a subject and as a medium of teaching. The photo above shows the end product.

The implementation done of Sign Language as a subject in the Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Phase has been brought forward. In both phases Sign Language is offered as a subject, although not strictly according to the time prescripts for Home Language.

developMent and awareness of the cultural legacy of south african sign language and deaf culture Appreciation for the language and culture is developed from a young age as a language cannot fl ourish without love and appreciation for it and the use of it.

Literature confi rms that a person can only learn a second language if the fi rst language has been learned and properly entrenched. In the case of a person born deaf the primary language (L1) will be Sign Language and the Second Language (L2) will be Afrikaans or English. Sign Language as a subject therefor never tries to replace the written/spoken

language, but serves as strengthening of L2 (written Afrikaans or English). This approach to Deaf Education is known as the ‘bi-bi’ (bi-lingual/bi-cultural) approach. In the accompanying photo the interaction can be clearly seen. However, it is important to use both languages correctly.

developMent of MaterialAs a consequence of the project, material for language acquisition is being developed for classroom use. A lack of subject terminology poses a challenge for teaching the Deaf. Once a week a group consisting of deaf people, children of deaf parents, as well as people with linguistic backgrounds of Sign Language meet to discuss words in the context of the language. If there is no sign for the words, a sign is developed and captured in a photo or DVD. A special computer program is used for technical editing. It is printed and supplied to the subject teacher. In this way the project is used to support subject teaching as well as the child’s written language.

alternative assessMentThe use of alternative assessment methods is another consequence of the Sign Language Project. An interim aim of the project is to offer a question paper in Sign Language on a DVD with English and Afrikaans captions. The learner access the question paper on his computer screen in all three languages and can progress at his or her pace. In this case, Sign Language supports the written language. However, it is envisaged that this interim arrangement would come to an end as learners’ written language improve through the

implementation of Sign Language as a subject and the establishment of a strong foundation in Sign Language.

The accompanying photo shows an exam session where children sit in front of their computers and answer the question paper at their own pace.

recruitMent of staff to offer sign language as a subJectA Sign Language qualifi cation is a very scare skill which makes recruitment of staff challenging. The University of the Free State offers Sign Language Linguistics to teachers at schools for the Deaf in the Western Cape at fi rst year level. The course is under the mentorship of Dr Philemon Akach. This training initiative helps to realise the project’s aim to ensure Sign Language as a sustainable subject area since people in the Western Cape are given the opportunity to qualify themselves in Sign Language Linguistics.

internal training To make Sign Language accessible and develop skills in the use of Sign Language, training is offered weekly to personnel, a few parents as well as people from outside.

advocacyIt is of great importance that stakeholders as well as offi cials of the Education Depart-ment take note of and support the project which could have incisive benefi ts for Deaf Education.

Diagnosis of hearing loss or deafness happens as late as 4 years old, in some cases 8 years old!

Children often enter Grade R with little or no language.

1 in 10 babies in SA is born with some degree of hearing-loss.

The average Deaf school-leaver leaves school with a reading age of 8.

75% of the Deaf Community is functionally illiterate.

70% of the Deaf Community is unemployed. Only 12 schools for the Deaf offer Grade 12

and are concentrated in 3 provinces. Only 2 FET Colleges in South Africa employ

Sign Language Interpreters. 600 000 South Africans use South African

Sign Language as their primary language. Only 14% of teachers in schools for the Deaf

can sign fl uently.

DE C EMBER 20 1 1 special feature

ACCORDING TO T H E DEAF FEDERAT ION OF SOUT H AFR ICA :

Newborn hearing screening should be LAW as it is in many other countries.

Early Intervention should be immediately available to parents of children with hearing loss so there are no language delays.

Early Intervention will ensure the Deaf child has a language foundation on which to commence schooling and literacy can progress to grade-level.

More schools for the Deaf need to be funded and supported to offer Grade 12 which will ensure more Deaf people have a Grade 12 certifi cate and can enter tertiary education and fi nd employment.

FET Colleges need to budget for the employment of South Africa Sign Language interpreters thus giving Deaf students access to the education pathway.

Teachers need to receive specialist training in South African Sign Language and Deaf Education.

what can be done to avoid this situation?

south african sign language pilot project

September was Deaf Awareness Month

and in this issue we publish a special

feature on initiatives to make education

more accessible to the hearing impaired.sp

ECiA

l FE

Atu

rE

The Sign Language team developed a book and DVD to support Sign Language as a subject and as a medium of teaching. The photo above shows the end product.

The implementation done of Sign Language as a subject in the Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Phase has been brought forward. In both phases Sign Language is offered as a subject, although not strictly according to the time prescripts for Home Language.

developMent and awareness of the cultural legacy of south african sign language and deaf culture Appreciation for the language and culture is developed from a young age as a language cannot fl ourish without love and appreciation for it and

Literature confi rms that a person can only learn a second language if the fi rst language has been learned and properly entrenched. In the case of a person born deaf the primary language (L1) will be Sign Language and the Second Language (L2) will be Afrikaans or English. Sign Language as a subject therefor never tries to replace the written/spoken

or her pace. In this case, Sign Language supports the written language. However, it is envisaged that this interim arrangement would come to an end as learners’ written language improve through the

which could have incisive benefi ts for Deaf Education.

updateEDUCATION

7DECEMBER 20 1 1special feature

guidelines to teachers of hearing-impaired children in mainstream education

the changing face of deaf education

1 973

Every morning, as I stand in my classroom, I await the sound of screeching schoolbag wheels coming down that corridor at

a staggering pace. Closer and louder, until little faces with excitement in their eyes burst through the doorway, announcing their presence with an overwhelming and contagious energy. I cannot help smiling at the sight of pure victory…my classroom, my friends, my teacher…mine.

Was I not a teacher of deaf Gr. R pupils, I might have noticed the quieter demeanor and the struggle for the right words. I might have noticed the cochlear implants and hearing aids as something different and unknown. I might have thought that these

children were handicapped by their lack of hearing. I have outgrown these

viewpoints a long time ago. Ever since I started teaching the

deaf within a program where a child with amplifi cation (such as hearing aids or cochlear implants) can learn to speak, I have noticed the “normality” in teaching the deaf child. Although our program

is focused on the development of language (which entails the teacher

to speak a lot during the day!), a deaf

child’s needs are no different from any other child. A young deaf child learns like any other child through play, enjoyment and constant encouragement. They go through the same developmental stages as any other child. Yes, a deaf child might have a language delay and other possible barriers to learning as a result of deafness, but it does not mean that the child must be treated in any different way.

It is therefore only fair to say that I treat the children in class the same as I would treat any child. Our learning processes (I learn just as much from the children) are based on concrete experiences and building lan-guage structures around these experiences. My work requires of me to be creative in my way of thinking; to be able to climb into the shoes of the little ones and bring any experi-ence to life in a concrete and enjoyable way. My focus is not only on language, but also on developing the child through touching on all the different aspects of the child. What a pleasure it is to see how the children grow; not only through the new language structures and words that they learn, but also through the development of their way of thinking and reasoning.

I feel extremely privileged to be able to teach deaf children; as I feel any teacher should see the amazing role they can play in the life of any child they have in their class-rooms. May teachers never forget to dream big dreams for their children, and may no-one dare dream smaller for a deaf child.

A deaf child, is a child, is a

child

Left: Marike Roux, a Grade R teacher at the Carl du Toit Centre, and her class.

Mariette nosworthy

Acknowledge the child’s unique disability. You set the example in the class situation, and your reac-tions are likely to trigger similar responses by the peer group. The hearing impaired child needs empathy, not sympathy, thus, do not treat him / her any differently where discipline is concerned. However, fi st ascertain whether he / she has understood or heard commands correctly prior to punishing.

The hearing impaired child is able to participate in all activities, including sporting activities.

Remember always to speak naturally and clearly. If

using exaggerated mouth movements, extremely fast or slow rates of speaking or overly loud speech, the pupils may

have diffi culty understanding.

Make sure your lips are clearly visible.

Face the class, not the blackboard, when speaking.

Make sure always to make lip reading possible. Thus be

careful not to chew gum or eat while

talking to the pupils.

Be aware that the pupil is unlikely to be

able to lip read or fully hear during

a fi lm / slide presentation. Either use a captioned fi lm or provide information (transcript) in advance.

When addressing the pupil say his / her name fi rst and identify the topic your are covering.

Sometimes ask other pupils if they have heard or understood rather than always focusing on the hearing-impaired child.

Be aware of possible misunderstanding – avoid idioms, sarcasm and slang (if you use slang, explain it to them).

Institute a buddy system – such as a classroom helper or offi cial notetaker.

Remember always to make a recognizable transition when moving on to a new subject.

Consider passing around a written copy of the day’s or week’s assignment for all pupils, or writing assignments on the board.

Encourage the child to ask when he / she doesn’t understand or could not hear properly.

CLASSROOM TIPSPLACEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM

Seat the pupil for opti-mal listening and visual cues within the class-room. Ideally, this should be with the pupil’s back to the window, seated one third of the distance of the room from the teacher, not in the front row directly beneath the teacher.

Make sure that the

room does not have bright lights shining directly in the child’s face. Back-lighting is ideal.

HEARING AIDS The hearing aid does not “heal”

the impairment. It merely amplifi es sound.

Please note that all environmental sounds are amplifi ed by the hearing aid. Therefore, try to reduce the noise level in the classroom.

Request in-service instruction to learn how to check your pupil’s hearing aids; keep extra batteries on hand.

Provide an opportunity for the pupil to share information with the class about the hearing aid and / or FM system and how it works.

Remember that “active” listening is strenuous. The child therefore tires easily.

Keep in mind that when the hearing-impaired child has a cold, hearing is at an even greater disadvantage.

Remove the hearing aid and keep it in a safe place when the pupil is participating in swimming.

The child must wear his hearing aids everyday. If it is not working tell the parents immediately to inform the audiologist. If the problem is not solved phone the Carel du Toit Centre.

THE ABC OF HEARING AIDS IN THE CLASSROOMThe hearing aids are marked –RED for the right ear & BLUE for the left ear.Don’t worry about all the buttons on the hearing aid –pressing them won’t change the settings.

Always have extra batteries at hand – ask parents / caregiver.

Hold the hearing aid in a closed hand to see if it makes a whistling sound – if it does not whistle, check that the mould is not blocked and / or change the battery.

If the hearing aid remains dead / quiet – please contact the parents and the child’s Audiology Centre because it needs to be repaired immediately.

tips FOr tEAChing

rEsEArCh

The Carel du Toit Centre would like to continue to support our children in Mainstream education. If you have any problems or questions please contact us as soon as possible. 021-938 5303

At a certain point it seemed to Olivia that the professor was absolutely crazy – he kept talking about teaching deaf children to speak. “A little known fact,” said Professor Carel du Toit, “is that most deaf children are not entirely deaf but have a small amount of residual hearing.”

Olivia knew she should do as he said - powerful hearing aids for her one year old are crucial to his programme, a parent partnership. She stopped working and attended Parent Guidance weekly. And when her son started speaking, he attended the school. Small classes. Monday outings for experience based learning. And Olivia was there, in the observation room with the other moms, absorbing and learning.

201 1Two little girls enter Parent Guidance at the Carel du Toit Centre. They are both 2 and a half years old. This is Amy’s fi rst visit and she is pointing and crying. “What?” says mom lifting up her shoulders “What?”

Gina snuggles closer to her mom, “Why is she pulling her mommy’s arm?” she whispers. This is their last Parent Guidance session, a weekly ritual since she was 12 weeks old and now Gina is ready for mainstream.

Same age. Same disability. Different stories. Different outcomes.

Gina’s hearing was tested at birth, a standard screen-ing for new-borns at the hospital, but there had been no hearing screening in the hospital when Amy was born. Nor at the clinic when they went for her vaccina-tions. Her mom worried that she wasn’t speaking, but everyone said she was a late starter. But Amy is pro-foundly deaf. She has never heard her mother’s voice and has by-passed the most critical time in the brain for developing language.

This is the age of technology. Hearing aids have advanced from analogue to digital, Cochlear Implants for the profoundly deaf are expensive but revolutionary. FM’s make learning in noise easier. Small, funky, water resistant, rechargeable batteries, remote controls, Blue Tooth compatibility are all 21st century features that appeal to the modern parent and make the idea of Ear Gear for Life more acceptable. And because of these advances, deaf children are being taught to LISTEN.

Research has proven that if deaf babies have Cochlear Implants by 6 months they will catch up to hearing peers by age 2.

And Gina is proof of that. She showed NO response to sound during her hearing aid trial and had her fi rst Cochlear Implant switched on at 6 months. Two years later, Gina is a chatterbox who has surpassed her hearing peers. But Amy’s journey will never be easy. She will always require special education, the remedial model that follows late identifi cation.

The future can be rosy for deaf learners in the 21st century. Inclusive education is a very real possibility at a younger age as the focus shifts to

EARLY identifi cation through new born hearing screening

appropriate hearing devices and regular testing/monitoring

hands on intervention by parents guided by professionals.

the development of the brain

Pre-3 is the future. Legislation and funding for the above will change the face of deaf education to catch up with the rest of the world. Onward ho South Africa….

thE FuturE

Marike roux

The hearing impaired child is able to participate in all activities, including sporting activities.

Remember always to speak naturally and clearly. If

using exaggerated mouth movements, extremely fast or slow rates of speaking or overly loud speech, the pupils may

have diffi culty understanding.

Make sure your lips are clearly visible.

Face the class, not the blackboard, when speaking.

Make sure always to make lip reading possible. Thus be

careful not to chew gum or eat while

talking to the pupils.

Be aware that the pupil is unlikely to be

able to lip read or fully hear during

The Carel du Toit Centre would like to continue to support our children in Mainstream education. If you have any problems or questions please contact us as soon as possible. 021-938 5303

Microphone

Amplifi er

Speaker

Battery

Ear hook

Earmold

DE C EMBER 20 1 1 newsupdateEDUCATION

8

quAlity lEArning & tEAChing CAmpAign

development

The Western Cape Education Department provided all schools with a Basic Financial Management Manual (BFMS) to assist governing body members and personnel with an “easy-to-read” guide for the effective and efficient handling of financial matters. The manual was first issued in 2000 and, after being brought in line with the latest legislation and best practices, the second edition was issued on a CD in 2006.

the governing body of a public school is legally obliged to:

keep records of funds received and spent and of its assets and liabilities;

draw up annual financial statements within three months of the end of each financial year; and

submit an audited copy of the annual financial statements to the Head of the Department within six months of the end of each financial year.

to reduce the inherent risk of fraud within an institution’s procureMent and payMent processes, it is iMperative that internal controls are put in place, by

promoting an environment in which adherence to controls is regarded as very important

ensuring that personnel involved in the internal control system are competent to fulfill their functions honestly and reliably

separating functions to reduce the risk of intentional manipulation or error and increasing the checking element

to detect any irregularities, regularly:

Check that transactions are completely and correctly recorded, and accurately processed

Check the arithmetic accuracy of record, e.g. reconciliations, account balances, documents

Responsible officials should supervise day-to-day transactions and the recording thereof

Review the management of accounts and budgetary control

Computerised records should be backed up on disks regularly to ensure that amendments, after monitoring, is picked up later

Do an inventory (books, classroom, etc)

Counter-check Monitor staff behavior Conduct surprise inspections

and audits

tips for financial management

Zero tolerance approach to fraud

hElpFul tips

A recent incident in which a forensic investigative audit into the affairs of a primary school

identified financial control weaknesses, poor SGB oversight

and inadequate documentation has

highlighted the need for schools to be

aware of their financial management function.

Leon Ely, Chief Director: Financial Management, said irregularities occur when there is negligence,

incompetence or dishonesty in the management of the school’s affairs and these can result in consider-able financial loss for the school.

He advised Governing Bodies to be aware of the current economic climate which resulted in many people struggling financially. This might tempt people to try and raid the school’s coffers.

Ely warned that the WCED has a zero tolerance approach to fraud and persons implicated by Foren-sic Audit’s investigations had been charged with misconduct. Those found guilty had been dismissed. Criminal cases had also been regis-tered with the South African Police Service and convicted fraudsters were sent to jail.

In terms of the South African Schools Act the principal is respon-sible for the professional manage-ment of the school together with

call to action to ensure quality education for all

The Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign calls all individuals and organisations to assume responsibility for improving the quality of educa-tion. Each of these role-players are called upon to make a com-mitment to a ‘Code for Quality

the SGB who is responsible for the overall controlling of school money and property. It is incumbent upon the SGB and the Senior Manage-ment Team to take accountability for all their financial activities by being transparent and responsible in the management of school funds.

In the recent incident, the princi-pal of the school made salary pay-ments to educators at the school in excess of the amount indicated in their contracts. The principal then instructed the educators to repay the excess amount to her in cash without issuing a receipt of payment.

Other irregular expenditure included an out of town trip to attend a colleague’s wedding that was funded by the school against the budget for staff development.

The forensic audit also found discrepancies with regard to quo-tations and false presentations of financial statements.

A case was registered with the

police regarding the payment made in respect of fraudulent quotations and invoices. Recov-ery action was initiated against the principal regarding money that remained unaccounted for, including the amounts associ-ated with fraudulent invo ices and cheque overpayments, as

well as to recover funds from individuals who went on trip.

The Forensic Investigative Report was discussed with the SGB and controls put in place to prevent similar practices in future.

“irregularities occur when there is negligence, incoMpetence or dishonesty in the ManageMent of the school’s affairs”

Education’, which describes the responsibilities and discipline required of them.

As a DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIAL, I promise to support schools, ensure that all teaching resources are provided on time, improve my own skills base to better assist schools, regularly monitor teacher and learner attendance and to facilitate

teacher development. As a TEACHER, I promise to be on time, well-prepared for all my lessons, teach for at least seven hours every school day and improve my own skills and knowledge.

As a LEARNER, I promise to attend school regularly, to work hard in school, respect my teach-ers and adhere to the rules of my school.

As a PARENT, I promise to support and protect my child’s school, to cooperate with teachers and to create a con-ducive home environment for my child to study.

As a COMMUNITY, we promise to ensure that every school-going child is at school, that schools are not vandalised and to report problems at schools to the relevant authorities.

DECEMBER 20 1 1 9 newsupdateEDUCATION

WCED @ work

The Directorate: Cur-riculum GET (General Education and Training) is responsible to support

and develop teachers, focusing on their understanding of their pro-fessional teaching practice.

The GET band covers Grades R to 9. A key performance area of the directorate, under the leadership of Genevieve Koopman, is to co-ordinate and facilitate the training and professional development of teachers.

Koopman’s career spans more than 26 years in education, moving between the classroom and the boardroom. She is responsible for curriculum policy design and implementation in the Directorate GET. More importantly she has to ensure that policy is effectively translated into practice. In this regard her main task in the GET Band is to ensure that quality teaching takes place and that learners are achieving at the expected levels of performance.

Koopman is passionate about teaching and the curriculum in particular and will make every effort to improve the results of the learners and to bring ‘joy’ back into teaching.

Her vision is to see that with hard work and dedication the WCED will achieve the 60% target in the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) by 2014 and that no school is left behind in achieving this goal.

Koopman is assisted by the

heads of the sub-directorates for early childhood education and the foundation phase; and for the intermediate and senior phases, as well as a team of senior curriculum planners.

The Sub-directorate: Early Child-hood Education and Foundation Phase is headed by Gillian van Wyk while Michael Cameron is Head: Intermediate and Senior Phases.

They are both well-known educa-tors.

As an early childhood specialist, Van Wyk is acutely aware of the long-term benefits of appropriate early literacy and numeracy experi-ences. Reading, writing and calcu-lating every day in the Foundation Phase classroom is fundamental for success.

Her career has spanned the ongoing curriculum policy change since C2005 and her latest task was the provincial rollout of CAPS training for approximately 10 000 teachers (Grades R to 3). The next big challenge she sees is the sup-port of English as First Additional Language from Grade 1.

The intensive training and classroom support of the Literacy and Numeracy Intervention in 250 schools at a time is another focus area. She believes that this strategy, together with the repackaged cur-riculum and the willingness of the Foundation Phase (FP) teachers, will result in the desired improved levels of performance in the FP.

Cameron was a mathematics

teacher in Khayelitsha in the 1980s. Later as the Principal Subject Advi-sor for mathematics in the Western Cape he was well respected by teachers and known for the high standards he set for mathematics teachers. He considers it a career challenge to raise the stubbornly

low mathematics performance in Grades 4 – 9 in the province.

The introduction of the reviewed curriculum (CAPS) in 2013 for Grades 4 – 6 and in 2014 for Grades 7 – 9 across all subjects provides a new opportunity to guide and support teachers. As teachers know what is required and teach at the correct pace they will give their learners a chance in life. It is the teacher who enables a learner to build a firm basis for achieving success through high school and beyond. Such an education will enable the future citizens and workers to improve our society and country.

This is the first in a series on the directorates that make up the Western Cape Education Department.

The Western Cape Education Depart-ment paid homage to staff who have completed 20, 30 or 40 years of unbro-ken public service during award ceremo-nies on 3 and 4 October 2011.

Provincial Education Minister Donald Grant said it was decided to make the long service awards an annual event to make sure that staff members get the recognition they deserve.

More than 60 staff members, mostly educators, were acknowledged for 40 years of service while hundreds received

“Koopman is passionaTE abouT TEaChing anD ThE CurriCulum in parTiCular anD Will maKE EvEry EfforT To improvE ThE rEsulTs of ThE lEarnErs anD To bring ‘joy’ baCK inTo TEaChing.”

Ntsiki Nyamza (Languages - Foundation Phase)Bonita Goetham (Mathematics - Foundation Phase)Lungi Ngondo (Languages, African Languages – Intermediate and Senior Phases)

Front Row: Left to right (seated) Joey Sitzer ( DCES: InterSen: Life Orientation), Gillian van Wyk (CES: ECD/Foundation Phase), Genevieve Koopman (Director: Curriculum: GET), Michael Cameron (CES: Intermediate & Senior Phase) and Lungi Ngondo (DCES: InterSen: Languages).Back Row: Ntsiki Nyamza (DCES: ECD/Foundation Phase: Literacy), Siqhamo Bele (Senior Admin Clerk), Anina Lundie (DCES: InterSen: Arts & Culture), Vuyani Nohashe (DCES: ABET Level 4), Alistair Mather (DCES: InterSen: Technology), Bonita Goetham (DCES: ECD/Foundation Phase: Numeracy), Thembisa Stwayi (PA to Director), Zenna Grove-Nieuwoudt (DCES: InterSen: Economic Management System) and Suanne Rampou (DCES: InterSen: Natural Sciences).

TEam WorK

THE SENIoR CuRRICuLuM PLANNERS ARE:

high pErformanCE

Department scores a hat trick for consistent high quality reporting

long-service awardscertificates for 30 and 20 years’ service.

Head of Education Penny Vinjevold commended teachers for a job well done and the fact that they cared and wanted children to do well. She said there was a burden on teachers to be role models to new teachers. “Teachers coming out of university might be excellent students, but they look up to long-serving teachers for guidance.

40 years and counting: Recipients of long service awards for 40 years in the classroom or as an administrator.

DEsErvED rECogniTion

The Western Cape Education Department received an Annual Public Sector Award (also known as the SAIGA Reporting Awards) for the most consistent high performance over the last three years in terms of annual reports published by all provincial and national departments. The major

development

ThE ‘joy’ of TEaChing

Above: 40 years and counting: Recipients of long service awards for 40 years in the classroom or as an administrator at the award ceremony at the College of Cape Town in Athlone.

Joey Sitzer (Life Orientation - Intermediate and Senior Phases)Suanne Rampou (Natural Sciences - Intermediate and Senior Phases)Alistair Mather (Technology - Intermediate and Senior Phases)Noleen Dodgen (Social Science -

Intermediate and Senior Phases)Anina Lundie (Creative Arts - Intermediate and Senior Phases)Zenna Grove-Nieuwenhoudt (EMS – Intermediate and Senior Phases)

role players responsible for secur-ing the honour for the department are (from left to right) Eugene Meyer, Director: Management Accounting; Leon Ely, Chief Direc-tor: Financial Management; Willie Carelse, Director: Supply Chain Management and Washiela Salie: Director: Financial Accounting.

9

DE C EMBER 20 1 1 newsupdateEDUCATION

10 insight & opinion

Learning CAN be fun

Dr Arendse, a physics fundi and entertainer of note, turned a tedious Friday after-

noon into a lively, interactive educational experience with his seminar, titled “Edutainment in Science and Mathematics Teaching: Making Science and Mathematics Practical for Learners and Teachers”.

He started on a refl ective note with a quote by Frank McCourt, who wrote about his 30 year teaching career at public schools in New York in his book Teacher Man: “I think a school should work like hell to help young people with their ‘poten-

The Directorate Research Services invited Dr Gillian Arendse, Manager of the Community Interaction and Training Division at iThemba LABS in Faure, to present a seminar at the Western Cape Education Department in Cape Town.

tial’ – whatever that is. It should be a liberating rather than a nar-rowing place where curiosity is encouraged and fostered.”

ChallEngEs in ThE Classroom

“WhEn you TEaCh ThE ChallEngE is To finD ThE bEsT Way To gET informaTion aCross.”

Right: A soft drink bottle is used to teach learners about water pressure.

Dr Gillian Arendse

Literacy understood in the context of formal schoolingAn emphasis on WRITTEN WoRD

Including reading and writing as related activities

Reading as instructed rather than naturally acquired

The presentation went on to argue that many of the problems in literacy were related to instruc-tional practices. These include the dominance in classrooms of oral discourse which leaves little opportunity for reading and writ-ing. Classroom interaction pat-terns that privilege the collective (chorusing) persist.

Dr. Hoadley also listed low levels of teacher knowledge; low levels of cognitive demand; the predominance of everyday

The seminar began by consider-ing two views of literacy, the holistic and the componential. The holistic emphasizes the social nature of literacy learning, in both formal and informal con-texts. The componential empha-sizes the technical aspects of decoding in reading.

Dr Hoadley said the two views should complement each other. Neither view is absolutely right or wrong and neither desirable on its own. one view (often pre-sented as a stereotype) down-plays the role of the school. The other risks making a technical activity of literacy which focuses on test taking. Both extremes should be guarded against.

A working defi nition for the presentation was thus adopted as:

Arendse said teaching is about creating opportunities to learn. He added that all too often teachers destroyed children’s inquisitive nature with a formu-laic approach to education. Chil-dren should be allowed to learn through a process of discovery. When you teach, the challenge is to fi nd the best way to get information across.

He demonstrated various experiments using readily available equipment as well as some tricks of the trade to keep children in awe and excited to learn more.

Arendse said by engaging learners more, teachers will begin to see the link between the effort they put in and the reward.

He encouraged teachers to fi nd their own rhythm and gain

control of their classroom.The seminar was attended by a

number of offi cials, teachers and facilitators of the ArcellorMittal Science Centre in Vredenburg who specially travelled to Cape Town to see Arendse in action.

Majiet Parker, the principal

of the Joe Slovo Engineering School in Khayelitsha, said he found the seminar very interesting. “It is a good way of illustrating simple scientifi c principles in the classroom. Beginner teachers can learn a lot from Dr Arendse.”

Challenges of literacy in schoolsDr ursula Hoadley, a senior lecturer at the university of Cape Town’s School of Education, presented a seminar on literacy at the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute in Kuils River.

context-dependent knowledge; little use of textbooks or strong texts; no explicit teaching of how to read; no explicit teaching of vocabulary and little feedback to learners, especially on errors, as additional instructional issues relating to problems in literacy.

She said 2012 provided hope: CAPS are more clear and specifi c around what is to be taught and when, children were being pro-

vided with workbooks to prac-tice in and graded readers and textbooks were to be provided to all schools.

A culture of reading across all domains – home, school, classroom, teachers and commu-nities was needed to ultimately improve learners’ levels of literacy. Texts should be made available and, most importantly, used. Hoadley said targeted

small-scale training, including linguistics training, would help teachers to understand their practice better.

She said teacher training needed to transcend the ‘appren-ticeship of [teachers’] personal experience’, i.e. teaching the way they were taught The need for good, especially African-lan-guage speaking literacy teachers was identifi ed.

“... a sChool shoulD WorK liKE hEll To hElp young pEoplE WiTh ThEir ‘poTEnTial’ – WhaTEvEr iT is. iT shoulD bE a libEra-Ting raThEr Than a narroWing plaCE WhErE CuriosiTy is EnCouragED anD fosTErED.”

10

DECEMBER 20 1 1 11 newsupdateEDUCATION

Climate Change and sustainable Development

From 28 November to 9 December, 30 000 delegates from 192 countries across the world will meet in Durban to take part in some of the most important discussions held in recent times about climate change.

T he united Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will host the 17th Confer-

ence of the Parties (CoP17) which aims to unite all countries in an agreement to combat climate change. Penny Liknaitzky, a cur-riculum adviser for geography, is completing a research project as part of the requirements for a post graduate degree through uNISA. Her research considers the understanding of climate change at secondary school level in order to contribute to more effective teaching and learning of this criti-cal contemporary issue. The fundamental importance of the learning process to achieving sustainable development has been articulated at numerous confer-ences since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE 2008) in the united States has endorsed this viewpoint and declared that an educated popula-tion is an integral component of a national strategy for environmen-tal protection and a sustainable economy.

A holistic approach to teaching and learning that integrates values, behaviours and lifestyle changes emerged after 1992. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) unfolded as a concept parallel to international debates on environ-mental protection and sustainable development. ESD provides a framework for understanding developmental challenges that exist within local communities worldwide. It is a method by which to engage learners with the united

rEsEarCh

Key challenges for the 21st century classroom

Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and issues related to environmental sustainability.

The presence of ice ages in pre-historic times has always been an indication that past climates have differed considerably from the pre-sent. Today, rapid climate change and unsustainable economic development are recognised as some of the major problems facing the world. The attendant chal-lenges of poverty, food insecurity, water shortages, increased pol-lution and inefficient energy con-sumption are some of the pressing concerns that impact on our lives. In addition, the frequency of devas-tating natural disasters, the spread of new infectious diseases and mass migration further compound these problems. Learners need to understand that a balance is essen-tial to the maintenance and proper functioning of the earth system in its entirety and that any disruption in one component will adversely affect others.

To grasp fully the issue of climate change, even at the most basic level, learners would need to understand the science behind it: how global warming is measured; earth’s climate history and the role

of computer models in simulating future scenarios. The impacts of climate change, the complexity of scientific uncertainties and inter-national debates and agreements on adaptation and mitigation measures are some of the areas that could be explored.

In the 2007 Lucerne Declaration on Geographical Education for Sustainable Development, the International Geographical union proclaims that geography can make a valuable contribution to a re-orientation in the way people think and live. Global climate change and conflicts arising from competing objectives pertaining to sustainability are mentioned amongst the major topical issues for consideration. Critical global environmental issues have both human and physical aspects which are interdependent, have an essen-tially geographic dimension, and need to be considered holistically.

Against this background, this study examines how educators in the Western Cape Education Department approach the teach-ing of the relevant theory on climate change in the geography curriculum. The research examines the present capacity of the formal geography school curriculum in the FET band to address satisfac-torily sustainable development and climate change themes. It will serve as a pilot study for exploring the

most effective geographical teach-ing that must take place in order to promote learning that will encour-age pertinent future responses to climate change globally and, more particularly, within our own regional and national contexts.

The preliminary findings indicate that while learners feel great empathy for the environment, many misconceptions exist amongst them about the causes of climate change. This seems to be a universal phenomenon if considered within the context of similar international research. Learners frequently mention the need to make lessons more visual and practical through discussion groups, role play and field trips. Educators, on the other hand, regard a lack of audio-visual resources and technology, as well as time constraints on co-curricular activities as some of the barriers to teaching about climate change.

Equally important, although a con-tent framework is provided in offi-cial documents, both teachers and learners observe that the content itself is not covered in sufficient

depth in school textbooks.Innovative classroom practices

can convey not only the impor-tance of an inter-disciplinary approach to the climate change phenomenon but also the need for co-operation between important stakeholders such as govern-ment, business and industry. This is pivotal to the success of the sustainable development agenda and is aptly captured in the CoP 17 uN Climate Change conference theme of Working together: Saving tomorrow today!

The outcomes of this study are intended to inform policy discus-sions in curriculum development for geography and environmental education in the FET band. Greater cohesion amongst topics in the school curriculum, a more unifying pedagogical approach, adequate teacher training, the skilful integra-tion of ICT in lessons and learners who are competent in the culture of debate, are some of the chal-lenges that face geography as a school subject. Moreover, the teaching and learning of climate change is critical to preparing the young generation adequately for one of the most compelling global changes they will face in the world beyond school.

Liknaitzky is a curriculum adviser for geography in the Further Education and Training band in the Metropole Central Education District.

This article is an abridged ver sion of an article that was written for a uNISA publication.

giving baCKgiving baCK

Three Grade 11 learners from Rondebosch Boys’ High School, Nabeel Allie-Ebrahim, Matthew Hendricks and Sean Schoeman, received Certificates for Outstanding Achievement for their work on Climate Change and Conflict as part of the South African Institute for International Affairs (SAIIA), Environmental Sustainability schools’ outreach Project competition.

Conservation champions

“ThE prEsEnCE of iCE agEs in prEhisToriC TimEs has alWays bEEn an inDiCaTion ThaT pasT ClimaTEs havE DiffErED ConsiDErably from ThE prEsEnT.”

“...This sTuDy ExaminEs hoW

EDuCaTors in ThE WCED approaCh ThE

TEaChing of ThE rElEvanT ThEory

on ClimaTE ChangE in ThE gEography

CurriCulum.”

insight & opinion

Rondebosch Boys’ High School Grade 11 learners (from left) Nabeeel Allie-Ebrahim, Matthew Hendricks and Sean Schoeman.

Nabeel Allie-Ebrahim received an award for Best Speaker, and together with five other learners will attend the United Nations conference on Climate Change to be held in Durban in November this year to participate in a special youth discussion on this topic

The Rondebosch Boys’ High School team was selected as provincial finalists and were commended by the panel of environmental experts for

their depth of insight into the topic and the thoughtful and practical nature of their recommended solutions. The project requires teams of learners to research an assigned topic related to

climate change, and to consider what possible recommendations or solutions they would propose at a local, national, regional and/or global level.

DE C EMBER 20 1 1 newsupdateEDUCATION

12

(with apologies to Descartes)

musT rEaDs

An article in Matieland (English) Winter 2011, p.39, describes Communi-Kat, an interactive cuddly toy, developed by Innovus, Stellenbosch University’s technology transfer company.

This toy can teach children to build relationships through positive interaction. A microchip which exhibits bonding behaviour towards a specifi c speaker can be built into various toys. The techno cat becomes more responsive when it receives positive attention, but negative (may growl or ignore you) when neglected. The toy will get to know the speaker over time and begin to show affection.

Children learn best while playing. The following is a micro-sample of what is available about this topic at EDULIS.

booKs:

using ThE EmpaThy Dolls approaCh. bEElEy, K. 2009use of dolls helps children to identify and explore common feelings and situations, helping children grow into happy, confident individuals.

gamE TimE: gamEs To promoTE soCial anD EmoTional rEsiliEnCE in ChilDrEn agED 4 To 14. hromEK, r. 2005This multi-media packet offers nine games on CD. These games will be invaluable for those working with small groups of young people who find it difficult to behave and co-operate with their peers.

sElf-EsTEEm gamEs: 300 fun aCTiviTiEs ThaT maKE ChilDrEn fEEl gooD abouT ThEmsElvEs. shEr, b. 1998Self-esteem games show children how wonder-ful it can be to be themselves. Through these activities you can reinforce the child’s positive feelings and provide a lasting foundation for learning.

CrEaTivE ExprEssion anD play in Early ChilDhooD CurriCulum isEnbErg, j. p. anD jalongo, m.r. 1993Shows how to foster learning and growth by integrating children’s creativity and play into the curriculum. It provides early childhood teachers with the roles, responsibilities, and strategies that lead to a more child-centred, play-based curriculum that nurtures children’s creative expression in all its forms. The authors treat play and creative expression as the cornerstones of a child-centred classroom.

ThE KinDnEss CurriCulum: inTroDuCing young ChilDrEn To loving valuEsriCE, j.a. 1995When you create opportunities for kids to prac-tice such things as kindness, empathy, respect, and conflict resolution, you will be amazed at the results. The activities are fun and easy while creating an atmosphere of acceptance and love in which children can seek out the goodness in themselves and each other.

soCial sKills: supporTing soCial anD bEhavioural lEarning maThiEson, K. 2005This user-friendly book offers strategies and sen-sible advice to help children develop their social, emotional and behavioural skills. It is invaluable for those wishing to update their understanding of children’s social behaviour learning.

EDulis:i play, therefore i learn

ElECTroniC journals:

mEasuring ThE EffECTs of Toys on ThE problEm-solving, CrEaTivE anD soCial bEhaviour of prEsChool ChilDrEn. in: Early Childhood Development and Care: august 2011, vol. 181 issue: number 7 p. 909-927.In this study an instrument was developed for testing the influence of toys on children’s play. To establish validity, the instrument was used to rate five common toys that could be predicted to have distinct influences on play. This instru-ment was found to discriminate among these toys in ways that are consistent with previous research.

play bEhaviour of parEnTs anD ThEir young ChilDrEn WiTh DisabiliTiEs. in: Topics in Early Childhood special Education, august 2011, vol. 31 issue number 2 p. 112-120.Play behaviours of young children with a variety of disabilities were examined to determine how children engage with toys and adults and what types of play have a positive impact on devel-opment.

gET up anD movE: an inTEraCTivE CuDDly Toy ThaT sTimulaTEs physiCal aCTiviTy. in : personal and ubiquitous Computing: july 2010, vol. 14 issue; number 5, p. 397-406.This project explores the possibilities of using interactive toys and social interaction in encour-aging children to become more physically active. The project resulted in a cuddly toy that stimulates young children to care for it through their own physical actions.

CharaCTEr Toys as psyChologiCal Tools. in: international journal of Early years Education: march 2011, vol. 19 issue number 1 p. 35-43 For young children soft toys become the ‘alter-native self’. The Moscow Toy and Game Centre developed methods for evaluating toys. The key criteria for evaluation are given, the key one being whether the toy will allow children to project their inner world into it.

DEvElopmEnT DEsign of nEW agE ChilDrEn’s Toy. in: advanced materials research, july 2011, vol. 291 issue: number 1 p. 2434-2437.This paper analyses the requirements of devel-opment design on children’s toy. Toys should improve creative, artistic, language reading and physical activities ability.

CompilED by EDna bÖhmEr (librarian: EDulis)

your nEarEsT rEsourCE CEnTrE

EDULIS LibraryTel: 021 957 9618Fax: 021 948 0748edulis@pgwc.gov.za1st Floor Middestad MallCharl Malan StreetBELLVILLE

Metropole EastCheryl Joseph Tel: 021 900 5111Fax: 021 903 9484Cehjoseph@pgwc.gov.zaOld Nooiensfontein RoadKUILS RIVER

Metropole SouthNtombi MngxumaBrian O’Connell Resource CentreTel: 021 370 2084Fax: 021 372 1856Nmngxuma@pgwc.gov.zaAZ Berman DriveLengtegeurMITCHELLS PLAIN

OverbergSara CleggMT Ndzuzo Resource CentreTel: 028 214 7353Fax: 028 214 7400sclegg@pgwc.gov.za15 College StreetCALEDON

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Read full-text articles from our electronic journalsFull-text articles are available to EDULIS Library/Resource clients on our website: http://edulis.pgwc.gov.za. Look for “Electronic resources”. Click on e-journals

reviews12

DECEMBER 20 1 1 13 newsupdateEDUCATION

C aitlin Alexander from Sweetvalley Primary School and Tamaryn Vlok from Westbank

No 1 Primary School have been selected as the winners of the White Quill “Inspired to Read” Project.

Caitlin submitted the winning entry in the English First Language category and Tamaryn had the best entry in the English Second Language category.

The competition was the brain

A delegation from BMW South Africa and their guest from Ne-Ulm University of Applied Sciences in Germany visited schools in Khayelitsha where mathematics, science and technology projects have been implemented with funds from the company.

BMW’s Excellence Project for Mathematics, Science and Technology is one of the company’s longest-standing projects. The project aims to give students the skills and support they need to pursue careers in science and technology by deploying mobile laboratories to partner schools.

Five schools from Khayelitsha (Manyano and Luhlaza High Schools and Intshayelelo, Ikhwezilesizwe and Injongo Primary Schools) were adopted into the programme in 2009.

Learners at Luhlaza High School and Intshayelolo Primary School had the opportunity to demonstrate the usefulness of their mobile laboratories to the visitors.

“We were very happy with the performance of the kids. Those learners know that a good education is essential for their future careers. We would be happy to have one of them at our university when they are studying. To facilitate such kind of student, lecturer and research exchange we signed a partnership agreement with the

briefNews in

young hisToriansOn 12 September in a gala setting at the Cape Town FET College in Crawford the provincial final of the Chief Albert Luthuli Young Historians Award took place. The five winners as shown in the accompanying picture (left to right) were Nabeelah Ishmail (Rocklands High), Pholela Mtiki (Fezeka High), Vermaine van Tonder (The Settlers High), Sherry Tapfuma (Bridgetown High) and Nyasa Nhoro (Cedar High). A month later these five learners participated in the 3-day national final in Pretoria culminating on 8 October. Once again the Western Cape gained distinction. The third place nationally was awarded to Nabeelah Ismail, for her presentation and portfolio on early Islam in the Cape. Nabeelah won a prize of R2000 for her school.

Bridget Tobin, History Curriculum Advisor from Metropole South Education District organized the provincial events and accompanied the five learners to Pretoria. She was supported by Bridgetown High School’s History teacher Jonathan Jacobs who also coached learners from nearby schools. This prestigious annual oral history competition develops powerful skills of research, organizing and interviewing in the young historians of the Western Cape. Oral history is a new curriculum requirement for Grades 10 and 11 History. It is also good news that this year’s portfolios will be published in an edited booklet by the Department of Basic Education. - Article & photo: M Cameron, Directorate: Curriculum GET

Rylands learners are switched on the saving electricitySumaya Sablay and Aasimah Ismail, both grade 10 learners at Rylands High School, won a gold medal in the Eskom Science Expo for Young Scientists for their Weight-Sensitive Switch project. When installed to your stove, the weight-sensitive switch bypasses the switch of the stove plate. It is activated when a pot is placed on it and deactivates

automatically when the pot is removed. The heat settings operate as before.Sumaya claims to have first thought of this idea when she yet again forgot to switch the plate off after use. The two learners are certain that the weight-sensitive switch will benefit South Africa by preventing mishaps and saving electricity.

Winners of the White Quill “Inspired to Read” Project announced

Caitlin Alexander Tamaryn Vlok

child of Liam Cundill, the author of The White Quill. The competition aimed to inspire young people to read for enjoyment.

Copies of the book were distrib-uted to 534 pre-selected schools. Each school received one book per grade 6 class.

Teachers chose six learners from their respective classes to be the representative project leaders for the “Inspired to Read” book initiative.

These learners wrote a synopsis

of what they thought the best part of the book was and submitted a picture of their idea of Libris, a Fairy Island in which the book was set.

Cundill said the project was a great success. “I had very positive feedback from 90% of the schools. There is a great desire for books and to nurture reading so I hope to continue with projects of this nature in the future. There have also been many requests for the book to be used as a set-work reader for next year.”

schools benefit from bmW support

University of the Western Cape,” said Prof Dr Ulrike Reisach.

In 2010, the Western Cape Education Department, under the auspices of the Western Cape Education Foundation, entered into a partnership with BMW South Africa to expand the project to the Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT), one of three Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics schools in the province. The project focused on providing COSAT with learning and teaching material, an IT laboratory, interactive whiteboards, laboratory resources, tutorial classes, and

Left: The Centre of Science and Technology in Khayelitsha showed off their brand new mathematics subject room to a delegation from BMW South Africa and academics from Germany.

bmW’s ExCEllEnCE projECT

posiTivE fEEDbaCK

Four learners at the Centre of Science and Technology in Khayeltisha participated in the National Science Expo in Johannesburg after winning gold medals in the provincial round.

Odwa Mawuso and Lizo Ncapai won a gold medal for their project: Homophobia in Khayelitsha. They also won the prize for the overall best project. Siyabulala Mtyela and Lwandile Yanta won a gold medal

for their project: The dangers of pseudo paraffin in informal settlements.

Odwa and Lizo also won gold at the nationals. They were amongst the few students who were asked to present their project to the minister of science and technology.

On the photo, from left to right: Siyabulela Mtyela, Lwandile Yanta, Lizo Ncapai and Odwa Mavuso.

CoSAT LEARNERS WIN GoLD AT NAT IoNAL ExPo

participation in science competitions and excursions.

Gold and bronze medals winners of the recently held Eskom Science Expo for young scientists impressed the visitors with their projects. This was followed by a visit to the school’s brand new mathematics subject room. Wayne Blauw of the Western Cape Education Foundation said the subject room served as a teaching, resource and information facility that was intended to promote the teaching and learning of mathematics in a way that would motivate the learners and make the subject interesting and fun.

13

DE C EMBER 20 1 1 newsupdateEDUCATION

14

0018/2011Introduction to and implementation of HR Connect>http://wced.school.za/circulars/circulars11/e18_11.html

0019/2011Implementation of Sourcelink as a procurement system at education district offices>http://wced.school.za/circulars/circulars11/e19_11.html

0020/2011 Final timetable and arrangements for the November 2011 ABET Level 4 examinations>http://wced.school.za/circulars/circulars11/e20_11.html

0021/20112012 staff establishments of special public schools>http://wced.school.za/circulars/circulars11/e21_11.html

0022/2011Provision of 2012 staff establishments to public ordinary schools>http://wced.school.za/circulars/circulars11/e22_11.html

0024/2011Guidelines for random search and seizure and alcoholic liquor and illegal drug testing at public schools>http://wced.school.za/circulars/circulars11/e24_11.html

0025/2Implementation of the norms and standards for support staff provision at ordinary public schools of the WCED011 >http://wced.school.za/circulars/circulars11/e25_11.html

EDuCaTion planning minuTEs

INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCE SUPPORT

0002/2011GRADE 1O LEARNER ENROLMENT PER SUBJECT AND LOLT FOR 2012>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/PSminutes/edirs2_11.html

0003/2011LEARNER TRANSPORT SCHEMES: APPLICATIONS FOR NEW LEARNER TRANSPORT SERVICES FOR THE 2012 ACADEMIC YEAR>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/PSminutes/edirs3_11.html

0004/2011NATIONAL CATALOGUE OF GRADE 10 CAPS TEXTBOOKS>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/PSminutes/edirs4_11.html

0005/2011NATIONAL CATALOGUE OF GRADES 1-3 CAPS RESOURCES>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/PSminutes/edirs5_11.html

a QuiCK guiDE To

CirCularsThe Western Cape Education Department issued the following circulars and circular minutes during the period August – october 2011

0006/2011CELEBRATING 2011 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH WITHIN THE WCED>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/PSminutes/edirs6_11.html

0007/2011PROVIDE AND SIGN OFF LEARNER NUMBERS ON CEMIS FOR 2012 WORKBOOK ORDER>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/PSminutes/edirs7_11.html

CurriCulum anD assEssmEnT managEmEnT minuTEs

ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT

0009/2011FIRST DRAFTS OF TIMETABLES:2012 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONSNOVEMBER 2012 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONSMAY/JUNE 2012 SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edam9_11.html

0010/2011NOVEMBER 2011 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS: PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE FINAL PRACTICAL EXAMINATION IN DESIGN AND VISUAL ARTS>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edam10_11.html

0011/2011RISK MANAGEMENT OF THE 2011 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE AND ABET LEVEL 4 EXAMINATIONS>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edam11_11.html

CAPE TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

0007/20112011 BURSARIES FOR ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION: SCHOOL LEADERSHIP>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/ectli7_11.html

CurriCulum gET

0015/2011FINAL LISTS OF PRESCRIBED & RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR LITERATURE STUDY FOR GRADES 7 TO 11 IN 2012>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edcg15_11.html

0018/2011NATIONAL CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT POLICY STATEMENT - ARRANGEMENTS FOR FOUNDATION PHASE TRAINING AND ORIENTATION >http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edcg18_11.html

CurriCulum fET

0008/2011EXEMPLAR EXAMINATION PAPERS FOR GRADE 12 TRIAL EXAMINATIONS>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edcf8_11.html

0009/2011GRADES 10, 11 AND 12 MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES TEXTBOOKS AVAILABLE TO LEARNERS ON THEIR CELLPHONES>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edcf9_11.html

0010/2011IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT POLICY STATEMENT (CAPS) - JANUARY 2012 ORIENTATION AND TRAINING FOR TEACHERS OF GRADE 10 SUBJECTS WITH A SMALL ENROLMENT>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edcf10_11.html

0011/2011RADIO PROGRAMMES TO ASSIST GRADE 12 LEARNERS>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edcf11_11.html

00013/2011PROCEDURES THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED WHEN CONDUCTING THE NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE PRACTICAL EXAMINATIONS IN COMPUTER APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edcf13_11.html

ExaminaTions aDminisTraTion

0004/2011REGISTRATION OF LEARNERS FOR THE OCTOBER 2011 ABET LEVEL 4 EXAMINATIONS WITH A VIEW TO OBTAINING THE GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING CERTIFICATE>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edea4_11.html

0005/2011EXTENSION OF SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS UNTIL MAY/JUNE 2014>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edea5_11.html

0006/2011NOVEMBER 2011 NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION: COM PLETION OF SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT (SBA) MARK SHEETS>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edea6_11.html

0007/2011NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE AND ABET LEVEL 4 EXAMINATIONS (OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2011): DISPATCH, RECEIPT AND COLLECTION OF EXAMINATION MATERIAL>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CMminutes/edea7_11.html

insTiTuTion DEvElopmEnT & CoorDinaTion minuTEs

INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE PLANNING

v0006/2011REVISION AND SUBMISSION OF SCHOOL CONTINGENCY PLAN>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/IDCminutes/eimg6_11.html

0007/2011INFORMATION FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/IDCminutes/eimg7_11.html

0008/2011ELECTION OF GOVERNING BODIES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN 2012>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/IDCminutes/eimg8_11.html

0009/2011PROVINCIAL PRINCIPAL FORUM MINUTES OF 22 JULY 2011>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/IDCminutes/eimg9_11.html

0011/2011STUDY BURSARIES - VIC BRIDGES FOUNDATION TRUST FUND>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/IDCminutes/eimg11_11.html

0015/2011SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY CONFERENCES (SGB) 2011>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/IDCminutes/eimg15_11.html

CorporaTE sErviCEs minuTEs

HUMAN RESOURCE MANGEMENT

0004/2011ISSUING OF VACANCY LISTS 4, 5 AND 6 OF 2011>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CSminutes/ehrm4_11.html

0006/2011PART-TIME STUDY BURSARY SCHEME FOR PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES (2012 ACADEMIC YEAR)>http://wced.school.za/circulars/minutes11/CSminutes/ehrm6_11.html

noticeboard14

noTiCEboarD

An extract from circular 0024/2011 Section 45A of the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act (WCPSEA), 12 of 1997, stipulates that, unless authorised by the principal for legitimate educational purposes, no person may bring any dangerous object, alcoholic liquor or illegal drugs onto school premises or during any school activity.

These Guidelines for Random Search and Seizure and Alcoholic Liquor and Illegal Drug Testing set out processes and procedures by which random search and seizure, and alcoholic liquor and drug testing should be carried out by principals or their delegates at school. These guidelines are intended to reduce and contain the incidents of violence and use of illegal substances by learners and to create a safe school environment for teaching and learning for all.

To assist schools in developing and implementing their own policy on random search and seizure, and alcoholic liquor and illegal drug testing, these Guidelines are accompanied by and further contain the following documents:

A pro-forma Policy on Random Search and Seizure, Alcoholic Liquor and Illegal Drug Testing, Annexure A;

Safe Schools Call Centre Contact Details and Functions, Annexure B; and

General Information, for use and to have at hand when contacting Safe Schools Call Centre, Annexure C.

In addition, once schools have identified learners using the procedures allowed for, they may have need for a more extensive range of support. In these cases, the Department of Social Development can be contacted using the details in Annexure D. It would assist the process if the same information listed in Annexure C is at hand when schools make use of the services of the Department of Social Development.

GuIdelInes foR Random seaRch and seIzuRe and alcoholIc lIquoR and IlleGal dRuG testInG at publIc schools

DECEMBER 20 1 1 15 newsupdateEDUCATION

Displaying ExCEllEnCE

arts & culture

Children’s art Centre

art used to celebrate heritage

The City asked youth to submit art and poetry works on how they interpret the theme, ‘My

City, My Heritage - Celebrating our diverse heritage’. There were three categories in the competition: Jun-ior Section – Grade R to Grade 3; Middle Section – Grade 4 to Grade 7 and Senior Section – Grade 8 to Grade 12.

Selected works were also exhib-ited at the Chavonnes Cannon Battery Museum in the Waterfront from 24 to 25 September.

The two winners in each category

(one in poetry and one in art) received their prizes at a special ceremony at the Civic Centre in the Council Chambers.

Mogamat Gasant Adams, a Grade 11 learner at Rylands High School, won the art competition in the senior category with his entry titled “The Arrivals”. His pencil sketch depicted a Khoisan warrior on Table Mountain looking across Lions Head and seeing the arrival of Jan Van Riebeeck’s ships in Table Bay.

Gasant has been

sketching for the past three years and was recently enrolled at the Frank Joubert Art Centre in Newlands. He is doing art as an additional subject toward his matric certificate in 2012.

His classmates are extremely excited about this budding Picasso and the teachers at his school have been impressed as well, so too Mayor de Lille.

The Children’s Art Centre in Zonnebloem designs and facilitates comprehensive visual art education programmes for 2300 primary school children per year. Principal Ayesha Price provides a glimpse of the activities at the centre.

faCT filE

history & location Initiated by George Veldsman, principal of St Phillip’s Primary School in Chapel Street, District 6 in 1945 Established in 1950 as ‘The Coloured Children’s Art Centre’, a formal WCED institution

The Art Centre was located in Victoria Walk, Woodstock between 1950 and 1969, and demolished and moved due to the Group Areas Act The Art Centre has been situated at the historic Zonne-bloem Estate since 1970.

learners More than 2000 learners practice art weekly

The Art Centre caters for Grades R -7

Partner schools are Chapel Street Primary School, Holy Cross RC Primary School, Rahmaniyeh Primary School, Walmer Estate Primary School, Zonnebloem Boys’ and Zonnebloem Girls’ Primary Schools.

Partner schools pay 75 cents per learners per art lesson

future plans The children’s artwork will be displayed at the opening and closing ceremony of the Lon-don Olympics 2012 together with at least 60 other cities globally in partnership with the British Council.

Learners’ artwork will be permanently displayed in the new Khayelitsha Hospital from mid-2012.

Foundation Phase learners are illustrating a Prose book for isiXhosa Home language, due for publication next year

upcoming events 7- 26 November, Children’s Art Exhibition at the Central City Library in partnership with the South African Society of Artists and the City

28 November, 6pm: The offi-cial opening of The Children’s Art Centre Annual Exhibition

3 December: Open Day December 14 – 21: Clay Sum-mer School (Holiday Pro-gramme) in partnership with Iziko Museums

an extensive range of media and tech-niques, covering many disciplines from ceramics to painting and printmaking within one school term. Walking from studio to studio, you may find groups making puppets, furiously sewing away – in the next simple collages are transformed into lamps within a whirl-wind of paper and laughter. And yet in the next studio there is dead silence as tiny painters slip into a right brained state, absorbed in the simple pleasure of constructing their understanding of the world through colour and shape.

We are truly honoured to have cus-todianship of and to be able to share our wonderful space, knowledge and physical and human resources with learners who would otherwise not have the opportunity to benefit from the

central role visual art plays in cognitive, motor, language, and social-emotional development. Surely, learners who criti-cally engage with the arts learn to see better, to envision and to persevere. They learn to make critical decisions and jus-tify such judgments. They are allowed a playful approach to learning; learn from their mistakes and approach problems knowing that there may well be infinite solutions.

We believe that by assisting children to access their innate creativity and expression, they will be more inspired to learn and also more fully engaged in life. As the centre of art in the lives of so many, we will therefore continually strive “to provide a creative and stimulating environment where differences are cel-ebrated and self-esteem is enhanced”.

The Children’s Art Centre on the Zonne-bloem Estate is always abuzz – as learn-ers arrive every hour and await their turn to work in one of the five art studios, well equipped and resourced for their every artistic need. Grade R’s line up, excited and enrobed in huge T-shirts that look like togas, that we as art teachers watch them grow into during their eight year stay with us. And as we receive our ar-riving classes, others leave with stained hands and happy hearts. Class teachers busily gather their groups who can’t re-sist a last run around our garden, secretly happy that they did not have to facilitate an energetic and messy art session.

Ask any of our learners: ‘So, what have you created in Art this year?’ and be pleasantly surprised. Our learners are granted the opportunity to explore

Cape Town’s budding artists had the opportunity to exhibit their work during the City’s Heritage Expo at the Civic Centre in September. ismail TElaDia

Image: Idrees Kamish

Right: Mogamat Gasant Adams with Mayor Patricia de Lille at the prize-giving of the “My City, My Heritage - Celebrating Our Diverse Heritage” Art Competition.

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Below: Avuyile Kese, a Grade 7 learner at Walmer Primary School

DE C EMBER 20 1 1updateEDUCATION

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Willem van Schalkwyk, a Grade 11 learner at Bredasdorp High School, bagged South Africa’s fi rst gold medal at the Common-wealth Youth Games on the Isle of Man, when he jumped a height of 2.03 m in September this year.

Willem and three other Boland ath-letes were included in the South African athletics team. The other Boland athletes were Jan-Louw Kotze (Paarl Gymnasium, discus), Tiaan Mouton (Paarl BHS, 400m hurdles) and Tiaan Smit (Paul Roos Gymnasium, 110m hurdles). Kotze won a bronze medal with a discus throw of 62.90. Mouton fi nished fi fth in the fi nal of the 400m hurdles with a time of 54.38 seconds.

The South African athletics squad won 10 medals (six gold, two silver and

rocklands teacher to go the distance for education

Ten local schools will each endeavour to raise R

100 000 by means of a spon-sorship card. Learners have been issued with a card illustrated with 43 blocks. Each block represents a kilometre Abrahams will complete in the 42.9km race. A monetary value of R5 is attached to each block and each learner will be able to raise R215 for their school. Each school therefore stands to raise a projected R200 000. All proceeds will go directly to the school.

Participating schools are Rocklands High, Trafalgar High, Darul Arkam High, Rylands High, Glendale High, Sea Point, South Peninsula High, Chapel Street Primary and Parkhurst Primary.

“We all know the state schools are very under-resourced. Whilst R200 000 is not much, it is a kick start and these schools can use this project as a foundation for bigger fundraisers,” Abrahams said.

Ryland High School teacher Kadija Ganie is one of the driving forces behind the fundraising. Rylands High School recently raised R100 000 for the Somalia Famine Relief campaign run by Gift of the Givers.

Abrahams’ community initia-tives included hosting two radio shows, Sports Breyani and Education Indaba on Voice of the

Cape for the past four years. He recently resigned.

His other community initiative is the Rocklands High Social club, in which he aims to encourage learners to develop a sense of social responsibility. They visit old age homes, provide sandwiches to poor learners and organise their weekly soup drive.

At the offi cial launch of the New York Marathon Million Rand Challenge, learners from Rocklands High School paid a warm tribute to their teacher, whom they described as an outstanding role-model and pillar of strength.

Shakiera Ariefdien and Ami-ena Lewis said he inspired them to become better learners and better people, through their com-munity activities. In a heartfelt poem read to the audience, the girls said the educator was driven and dedicated, always striking a balance as a fi rm but understand-ing leader.

“Given the socio-economic challenges in our communities, many educators are so demotivated these days, I want to prove that educators can still make a difference in learners’ lives, just like the activist teachers of yester-year.

I’m just an ordinary educator doing something extraordinary,” Abrahams said.

BREDASDoRP AT HLETE BAGS GoLD AT THE CoMMoNWEALTH YouTH GAMES

two bronze medals). Team South Africa won 30 medals in total.

Willem started taking part in high jump when he was in Grade 4 and surprised all when he was crowned the U/10 SA Cham-pion later that same year.

Since then, except in 2008, he took part in the SA Schools Championships where he thus far won one gold medal, two silver and two bronze medals.

In 2011 he won the gold medal at the Athletics South Africa Youth Champion-ships and was selected for the SA Youth team to take part in the CAA Southern Af-rica Regional Championships in Windhoek. He won a gold medal and secured a place in the SA team to take part in the World Championships in France in July.

Willem’s best achievement this year was

at the Boland Athletics Championships when he broke Emile Rossouw’s record by clearing 2.07m. A week later he set a personal best with a height of 2.10m.

Besides high jump, Willem also excels in rugby, tennis and cricket. Last year he played fl ank for the Boland Grant Khomo rugby team. He also represented Boland South in tennis and cricket.

Willem has been described as a good mannered, modest young man that is an ambassador for Bredasdorp High School and the whole town.

A great honour was bestowed on Willem on Friday, 11 November at the Boland Schools Sport Awards Evening. He was named the Best Boys’ Athlete of 2011 and Sport Boy of the Boland High Schools of 2012.

rEaChing nEW hEighTs

nETball

GoLD GoLD GoLDDurbanville Primary School made history at the Western Province Netball Finals by clinching all three championship titles. It is the highest achievement by a school to have all three teams crowned provincial champions.

The U/11A team members are (from left) Zanél Basson, Mieke Matthyser, Marna Visagie, Cara van der Westhuizen, Gillian Fortuin, Nicola Smith; Julie Vercuiel and Merlé Rademan

The U/12A team is the provincial champions for the second year in a row. The team members are (from left) Anja van Zijl, Megan Kotze, Tayla Nel, Leiere Falck, Mari Loubser, Heike Möller, Jamé Pieterse and Monique Neethling.

The U/13A team is the WP Champions for the third year in a row. Back, from left: Jana van Rooyen, Saige Bell, Marizanne Brink and Courtleigh Behr. Front: Nina du Toit, Megan Coetzee, Huibrie Smit and Nicole Schreuder.

Rocklands High School teacher and well known radio personality Irafaan Abrahams aims to raise R1 million for education in the Western Cape by using his entry into the New York Marathon as a platform to create awareness and garner support from the community, schools and local businesses.

After securing an entry into the pres-tigious marathon held on 6 November,

Abrahams, an amateur runner, decided to combine his passion for education and sport into a legacy project for schools in the province. “It’s about paying it forward. With this project, not only am I achieving my dream, but by sowing the seed, I may be giving future generations a tree of opportunities to achieve their dreams.”

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