national teacher's guide

THE STARS IN EDUCATION AWARDSFind out how you can make a difference in your community and get the recognition you deserve.

BECOmINg THE BEST THERE ISHOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS- EXCITINg COURSES AND TRAININg FOR TEACHERS -

DEpARTmENT OF BASIC

EDUCATIONWORKINg TOgETHER

FOR QUALITY EDUCATION

LOOKINgFORWARD

Action plan to 2014 – towards

the realisation of schooling 2025

gET YOURvOICEHEARDAND WINR5 000!

2011

TEACHER LApTOp INITIATIvE

What you need to know

Your complete solution to all your educational needs

Via Afrika Education is a leading publisher of educational textbooks and related material for South Africa and southern African countries. In order to meet the specific demands of each aspect of the diverse markets that Via Afrika Education serves, publishing takes place in five operationally independent businesses. • Via Afrika Publishers produces books and educational materials for schools

(all grades and subjects) and FET colleges in South Africa.

• Via Afrika Stimela produces materials for the adult education and training

(AET) market.

• Via Afrika Smile produces educational games and apparatus as well as science,

mathematics and technology kits for schools in southern Africa.

• Via Afrika Future produces digital learning materials and textbooks.

• Via Afrika International manages and supports the Group’s educational publishing

businesses in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.

www.nva.co.za

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Drawing from research and development work that was used for the Education Handbook, www.teacher.org.za will provide an up-to date overview of the key issues and initiatives that influence education in South Africa.

Featuring a real-time blog and regular updates, it is set to become the leading source of education-related information in the country. Most importantly, it will provide key role-players with a dynamic opportunity to pro-actively get involved, share ideas and identify solutions.

THE SHAPE OFTHINGS TO COMETeacher.org.za is an online platform where key

stakeholders in the Education Arena can connect,

collaborate and participate to make a discernible

difference to the future of our children.

Together we can do more.

We need you to help us shape this exciting NEW project and the way it will support all of us in reaching the collective goal of quality education in South Africa. Log onto www.teacher.org.za today and post your comments to make a real difference.

Argo has been developing leading communication projects in the education arena for the past 13 years. We have established relationships and partnerships in all spheres of SA’s education community.

We INSPIRE our youth to dream big, master their skill and achieve.

We RECOGNIZE the role of teachers in our community.

We MOTIVATE schools to get their learners future-focussed and

study-fit.

We help teachers, opinion leaders and thinkers to COLLABORATE

on key issues to and streamline actions.

We encourage society to demonstrate their SUPPORT by sharing

stories of hope and transformation.

For more information about our products please visit www.argo.org.za

TABLE OF COnTEnTsDepartment of Basic Education: Working Together for Quality Education 6

Metropolitan: Leading the Way in Soccer Development for Over 21 Years 10

Stars in Education:

Your Chance to let your Own Light Shine 14

How to enter the Stars in Education Competition 15

What makes a Winning Star Project? 16

Meet the 2010 Stars in Education Winner and Finalists 17

Research Survey: Win R5000!! 23

Teach SA: Teach Ambassador – Meurial Magaya 25

Department of Basic Education: Action Plan to 2014 – Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025 26

Becoming the Best there is – How to Improve your Skills 34

Bursaries for Teachers 35

Department of Basic Education: The Matric Pass Rate – When Should we Celebrate? 38

Capitec: The ABC of Credit 40

Avusa Education: Giving Learners a Head Sta 45

TLI: How Can Computers Help Us? 54

Websites to Support You 56

Department of Basic Education: The Grammar Debate 62

Published by Argo

Web www.argo.org.za | Tel 021 865 2813 | Email [email protected]

Published in Stellenbosch, South Africa, April 2011.

www.teacher.org.za

Managing Editor: Sue Fontannaz

Editorial team: Jeanne Reeder, Wendy Viljoen

Production Manager: Jeanne Reeder

Design and Layout: Limbik | Printing: Paarl Media

WIN A NOTEBOOK!

To enter, sms ‘notebook’ plus your email to 34747.

Each sms costs R2. Deadline: 30 Nov 2011. T&C’s apply.

Get Published! Call for writers in National Teacher’s Guide and Education Handbook. Email [email protected] for more info on type of content required.

Your complete solution to all your educational needs

Via Afrika Education is a leading publisher of educational textbooks and related material for South Africa and southern African countries. In order to meet the specific demands of each aspect of the diverse markets that Via Afrika Education serves, publishing takes place in five operationally independent businesses. • Via Afrika Publishers produces books and educational materials for schools

(all grades and subjects) and FET colleges in South Africa.

• Via Afrika Stimela produces materials for the adult education and training

(AET) market.

• Via Afrika Smile produces educational games and apparatus as well as science,

mathematics and technology kits for schools in southern Africa.

• Via Afrika Future produces digital learning materials and textbooks.

• Via Afrika International manages and supports the Group’s educational publishing

businesses in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.

www.nva.co.za

ww

w.g

lob

ecre

ativ

e.co

.za

• Every learner in Grades 1-6 must get a literacy and numeracy

workbook

• The workbooks must be handed out to learners and they must be

allowed to take them home to do home work

• All learners must write in their workbooks and use them to answer

questions and practice reading, writing and numeracy

• At the end of the year, the workbooks become the property of the

learner and a record of the learner’s progress during the year

• The books will be supplied for free to the schools or parents.

They are entirely funded by the Department.

If schools have not received workbooks at all or received

the wrong number or books in the wrong languages,

principals should phone the following Departmental

Toll Free number:

0800 202 933 or 012 357 4195

2 2011 National Teacher’s Guide

• Every learner in Grades 1-6 must get a literacy and numeracy

workbook

• The workbooks must be handed out to learners and they must be

allowed to take them home to do home work

• All learners must write in their workbooks and use them to answer

questions and practice reading, writing and numeracy

• At the end of the year, the workbooks become the property of the

learner and a record of the learner’s progress during the year

• The books will be supplied for free to the schools or parents.

They are entirely funded by the Department.

If schools have not received workbooks at all or received

the wrong number or books in the wrong languages,

principals should phone the following Departmental

Toll Free number:

0800 202 933 or 012 357 4195

3DEPARTMENT OF BASIC EDUCATION

Let’s work together for quality education

President Zuma, in the State of the Nation Address on 10 February 2011 made the following call:The focus in basic education this year is Triple T: Teachers, Textbooks and Time. We reiterate our call that teachers must be at school, in class, on time, teaching for at least seven hours a day.

As part of the Quality Teaching and Learning Campaign, teachers made the commitment to the Code for Quality Education and committed themselves to the following:

As a TEACHER, in line with the SACE Code of Professional Ethics, I promise to:

• teach, to advance the education and the development of learners as individuals;

• respect the dignity and rights of all persons without prejudice;

• develop loyalty and respect for the profession;

• be punctual, enthusiastic, well prepared for lessons, and of sober mind and body;

• improve my own knowledge and skills base to be more effective;

• maintain good communication between teachers and students, among teachers themselves; and between teachers and parents;

• provide regular information to parents on their children’s progress;

• eliminate unprofessional behaviour such as teacher-pupil relationships, drunkenness, drug use, assault, sexual harassment and others;

• make myself available to provide extra-mural activities

LET US RECOMMIT TO THESE PROMISES IN 2011

September OctoberS M T W T F S WK

1 402 3 4 5 6 7 8 419 10 11 12 13 14 15 42

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 4323 24 25 26 27 28 29 4430 31 45

S M T W T F S WK

1 2 3 36

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 37

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 38

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 39

25 26 27 28 29 30 40

��

2011 YEAR PLAnnER

January FebruaryS M D W T F S WK

1 012 3 4 5 6 7 8 029 10 11 12 13 14 15 03

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 0423 24 25 26 27 28 29 0530 31 06

S M T W T F S WK

1 2 3 4 5 06

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 07

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 08

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 09

27 28 10

May June

S M D W T F S WK

1 2 3 4 23

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 24

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 25

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

26 27 28 29 30 27

S M T W T F S WK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 19

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22

29 30 31 23

��

2011 YEAR PLAnnER

AprilS M T W T F S WK

1 2 14

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 15

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 17

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 18

December

MarchS M T W T F S WK

1 2 3 4 5 10

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 11

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 12

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 13

27 28 29 30 31 14

November

AugustJuly

S M T W T F S WK

1 2 273 4 5 6 7 8 9 28

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 2917 18 19 20 21 22 23 3024 25 26 27 28 29 30 3131 32

S M T W T F S WK

1 2 3 4 5 6 32

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 33

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 34

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 35

28 28 30 31 36

S M T W T F S WK

1 2 3 49

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 50

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 51

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 52

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 01

S M T W T F S WK

1 2 3 4 5 45

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 46

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 47

21 21 22 23 24 25 26 48

27 28 29 30 49

Teacher’s Hotline: 0800 202 463

Oxford University Press Southern Africa offers many innovative teacher training workshops nationwide to empower teachers in the classroom. Teachers across South Africa can look forward to an extensive range of informative and interactive Oxford workshops in 2011.

HighlightsSubject specific and Integrated CAPS for Foundation PhaseIncludes:• Subject specific overview of the new Curriculum Assessment

Policy Statements (CAPS)• Subject specific changes• Topic and Lesson Plans• Practical Lesson examples: content, methodology, assessment

and remedial / extension• Tips on choosing the correct book for success

A Balanced Reading Approach at Foundation PhaseIncludes activities on:• high frequency words and phonics• word and sentence level work from Shared Reading

to Shared Writing• Guided and Independent Reading• Reading for Enjoyment

Reading as a First Additional LanguageIncludes:• activities on using a story to build vocabulary• classroom activities for teaching phonics, letters and sounds• a model lesson on Shared Reading, and Shared and

Independent Writing

Gear up for 2011 with OXFORD!

Contact the Teacher’s Hotline to book a place at a FREE workshop in your province.

Oxford workshops are facilitated by specialist trainers – helping teachers to tackle the challenges of a changing curriculum with confidence and become the best they can possibly be.

Oxford workshops are facilitated by specialist trainers – helping teachers to tackle the challenges of a changing curriculum with confidence and become the best they can possibly be.

SCH_AD_5501_10

Also available: Oxford dictionary and atlas

workshops for Primary and

Secondary schools

…and much more!

Also available: Oxford dictionary and atlas

workshops for Primary and

Secondary schools

…and much more!

0352_OUP_NatTeacher_adv_FV.indd 1 2010/12/06 3:55 PM

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HERE is YOuR CHAnCE TO LET YOuR Own LigHT sHinEenter the 2011 stars in education awards and you could win r10 000 sPonsorshiP towards your Project!The Stars in Education Awards recognises the valuable role teachers play in shaping our communi-ties for a better future. It’s about dedicated men and women, who go beyond the call of duty, take action into their own hands, and who lead projects that actively contribute to the social upliftment of our country.

Read more about the 2010 winner and finalists that have already made a fundamental difference in their school and community.

Send us your entry for the 2011 Awards so that we can show others what amazing work teachers are doing in our schools.

write to us and tell us why your school is a star school!Win the opportunity to be filmed at your school and have your school form part of the Star School documentary!

Post your story for free to The Stars in Education Awards, Star School, Freepost CB8152, PO Box 7177, Stellenbosch, 7599 (no stamp required). For more information, please contact [email protected] | www.teacher.org.za



what you need to do• Send us a letter with your name, address,

phone number and the school where you teach.

• Describe your special extracurricular project which you are involved with that makes a difference to the lives of learners in your community.

» Tell us what the project is all about;

» What made you start the project;

» The challenges you faced;

» How you overcame those challenges;

» The success you’ve had;

» What you hope to achieve in the future.

• Tell us how long your project has been run-ning and how your project has grown.

• Tell us what you would do with the R10 000 prize money.

• It would be great if you could include artwork or photographs of you and the learners, project or the school.

what you could winThe 10 finalists will each receive a R1 000 cash

prize. The top 3 winners will each receive a

R10 000 sponsorship towards their project. The

projects will also be included in the 2012 edi-

tion of the National Teacher’s Guide which goes

to over 100 000 teachers so you will be inspiring

others to make a difference.

rules of the comPetition • The competition will be judged by edu-

cational professionals and the judges’ decision is final.

• You are allowed to enter if you are run-ning an existing project.

HOw TO EnTERlet your liGht shine

enter now!This is your chance to get the recognition you deserve and take your hard work to the next level. Enter before 31 August 2011.

Post your entry to The Stars in Education Awards, Freepost CB8152, PO Box 7177, Stellenbosch, 7599 (no stamp required). You can also register on www.teacher.org.za and submit your entry online.

For more information, please contact [email protected] | www.teacher.org.za

WIN A NOTEBOOK!



15STARS IN EDUCATION

wHAT MAKEs Awinning sTAR PROJECT?judGes insiGhts

The Stars Projects all show just how much teachers do in and for their communities. This makes it difficult to judge because the contributions are so different. When you put together the information about the project be sure to give as much information as possible.

You can use these ideas:

1. Explain exactly what the project involved. Who? Why? What was done? How long has the project been running? How long will it keep going?

2. Say exactly what the project has achieved. You could include a case study about one of the people who benefited from the project. You should include evidence including photos, testimonials from people who benefitted from the project, and what other people have said about the project.

3. Make the information easy to read. Use clear headings. Check that there is a logical flow throughout. Make the judge want to read the information.

Via Afrika has been involved with the Stars project because we firmly believe that education needs more than good books – it needs committed teachers who are appreciated for all that they do. At Via Afrika we believe that our future lies with our teachers, and our participation here aims to show how much we value teachers.

commentsJudging the competition last year was as rewarding and as moving as it was the first time I was involved. Our teachers are amazing, and the teachers whose stories we read about make me realise just how critical teachers are to our future well-being as a nation.

the Projects that have been started show a deeP sense of community concern and i am Pleased that i may be a Part of honourinG the men and women who are makinG such a difference.

I am sure that the quality of the submissions is only going to improve in the years to come, and look forward to being part of it.

BY: Christina Watson. CEO Via Afrika

winner 2010


It is a profound honor and privilege to receive the 2010 Stars in Education Award. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Argo and Via Afrika for affording me this won-derful opportunity.

more about myselfMy name is Roslyn Narain and I am a languages and Life Orientation educator at New West Sec-ondary School in Newlands West. I have the opportunity of teaching the youth by day and elderly by night. I am the founder of RAFAL - Roslyn’s Academy for Adult Learning - an acad-emy for elderly people who have never been to school. I teach them how to read and write and to take their rightful place in society.

I provide holistic education to all my learners, inclusive of the academic and the development of the learners’ social, spiritual and moral values. I maintain that South Africa doesn’t only need excellent academics, rather academics that will someday make a positive contribution!

I engage my learners in community upliftment projects and provide assistance to the destitute, poor and needy, whilst at the same time improv-ing my learners’ self-esteem.

As an educator, in a society ridden with crime and social injustices, it’s certainly no easy task to ensure education within the classroom. How do

MEET THE 2010sTARs in EDuCATiOn winnERroslyn narainnew west secondary school - newlands west

you teach a child on an empty stomach or who witnessed domestic violence that very morning? It’s a real challenge, but one that I confront head on with compassion, dedication and commitment.

when were the Projects established and why?My community projects began in 2006. I noticed that a learner was constantly absent from my class and asked to see him during lunch break. I was glad I sacrificed my lunch break because that day changed my life and my philosophy as an educator. I soon discovered that the learner’s par-ents were getting a divorce hence his depressed state. He had not been in school because he had attempted suicide and had been in hospital. I asked him what change he would like to see in his life and he answered: ‘Mam, I just want my dad to love me!’ Wow, all my years of training as an edu-cator did not prepare me for this! Yes, I could help him, but how could I make his father love him? I new I couldn’t. This life changing moment was as if a light bulb had been switched on for me.

winner 2010

Get your voice heard and win r5 000!Complete the Research Survey at the end of this section and you can win with The Stars in Education.

Post your survey for free to The Stars in Education Awards, Freepost CB8152, PO Box 7177, Stellenbosch, 7599 (no stamp required). Alternatively complete this survey on www.teacher.org.za. For more information, please contact Tel 021 865 2813 | Fax 021 865 2166 [email protected] | www.teacher.org.za

continued on page 18


It was almost Christmas and so I got this young lad to assist me with a toy collection drive. He became the leader of this project and we col-lected 840 toys and distributed them to hospitals and children homes. What made this drive spe-cial was that this very ‘suicidal student’ dressed as Santa Claus, handed out the toys and made the children laugh. This was his life changing moment. He realized that even though he didn’t receive love at home, he had so much love to give to others. There were children that were worse off than him that he could help make a difference to. This boosted his self-esteem and made him happy and confident.

And so the various community projects began, with the benefit of building the self-esteem of my learners and helping the community at large. We raised R20 000 to buy 500 blankets for needy families during winter, takkies for Aids orphans, food and clothing for families whose homes were ravaged by fire etc.

what is your Greatest moment as a teacher?My greatest moment as an educator was when my learner called me at 5am in the morning to say, ‘Mam, I passed” and he just got 40%. Well, to me it was not just 40%, it was how he grew as a person too. We, as educators, all need to strive to get this combination correct, because this essen-tially completes a child’s learning!

My reason for establishing RAFAL is that I recog-nized a serious need amongst the elderly in my community who were desperate to learn, read and write and I seized this opportunity. I now have a class of 40 learners between the ages of 55 and 79 years old. It is a rewarding experience to watch them grow and develop mentally. To watch them sign their signatures for the very first time was an emotional achievement. They have a full school curriculum which includes a sporting program, excursions, a debutant ball and graduation.

challenGe Posed to all educatorsMy challenge to all educators in South Africa is: Take the time to get to know your learners. It’s ok to find out who they really are, steer them in the right direction and provide that much needed compassion and care!

A motto that I designed and firmly live by:

“true success is measured by the siZe of ones’s heart and the ability to use that heart to affect Positive chanGe in society!”

ms roslyn narain won r10 000 towards her Project for enterinG the stars in education awards.

continued from page 172nd Place 2010

Above: Roslyn Narain (left) and Shiksha Lutchmipersadh (nominating learner).


VEgETABLE gARDEn AnD sOuL BuDDiEsmrs. Gumede jabulileGobhela Primary school – hibberdene

Project descriPtionMrs Jabulile serves in a number of committees

which deal with the greening of her school, veg-

etable gardens, an environmental committee,

regional and national science expo adjudicating,

the sports committee and many more. As the Soul

Buddies of the schools they collected blankets,

non-perishable foods and donated them to the

needy learners. The community, church and local

businesses were involved in their campaign. They

also cleaned the homes of some of their learners

e.g. Meyiwa Lindokuhle’s which is headed by a

blind old lady. Lindokuhle is a grade 7 learner and

Mrs Jabulile managed to bring him back to the

classroom from the street.

what made you start the Project?I have a number of learners who were school drop-outs that I managed to bring back to the classroom, gave them love, food and clothing. Because many learners are orphans and vulnera-

ble children and poverty stricken, I buy uniforms,

pay for school fees and provide support to them

through food parcels, shelter, clothing and coun-

seling. We have built a house for the Hadebe

family who were in need and we are now planning

to build a home for the Chiliza family.

tell us about some challenGes you faced?Many of the learners do not have birth certifi-

cates or identification documents to apply for

social grants that could help their living and

school arrangements.

how did you overcome those challenGes?I have successfully applied for identity documents

for the Hadebe family, pension grant for Sebenzani

Khumalo and taken out a funeral cover for them as

well. The prize money will be used to buy building

material for the construction of the Chiliza home.

Some of it will be used to source officials to teach

parents on home and financial management and

for the vegetable gardening – starting with those

that I have assisted.

mrs Gumede jabulile won r10 000 towards her Project for enterinG the stars in education awards.

read more stories of hoPe on www.teacher.orG.Za

2nd Place 2010


4H, sOuL BuDDiEs, nO APOLOgiEs & COunsELLing ms. feZisa fikeni

intsinGiZi junior secondary school – biZana

Project descriPtion4H is a programme that allows Fezisa to provide

a fundamentally essential need to the needy chil-

dren of her school – providing them with food.

Fezisa also implemented ‘Soul Buddies’ which

allows students to perform to their full potential

in context of their academic results and co-cur-

ricular activities.

what made you start the Project?I started this programme after I attended a coun-

seling workshop. I started my counseling at

school, specialising in learners who have lost their

parents. This counseling programme extended to

the point where I had to deal with the commu-

nity members as well because I had to meet with

people who were taking care of those orphans.

Counseling was also extended to those learners

who had a drug and alcohol problem, teenage

pregnancies and all forms of abuse.

tell us about some challenGes you faced?A big challenge is the lack of funds. When we (me

and the soul buddies) have visited families it’s in

my interest to plant responsibility and care in the

young ones. We have to leave food and clothing

to the vulnerable families. Another challenge is

not having a proper place here at school for coun-

seling as I am sharing the room with someone

else and so there is no confidentiality.

how did you overcome those challenGes?We went to SASSA for food parcels which were

delivered two weeks later by our social worker

Miss Matshini. Our foster grant application for

those vulnerable children was approved, and after

three months they received the grant. We admit-

ted the orphans that were living in a dismantled

shack with no clothes, food, schooling or water

to our school with the help of the other teachers

and the principal. We are still struggling to find

a shelter. The municipality we applied at nothing

has been done yet.

ms. feZisa fikeni won r10 000 towards her Project for enterinG the stars in education awards.

read more stories of hoPe on www.teacher.orG.Za

4th Place 20103rd Place 2010


Project descriPtionMs Malotsa took children to the clinic and hos-pital when necessary. Other teachers in the school helped identify kids in need. Ms Malotsa was nominated by the principal to be trained on an OVC course at the Family Institute of South Africa (FISA). The light and life company also did the same for HIV & Aids matters. She designed information forms detailing learner’s situations so that their progress could be monitored. She did home visits and conducted her care jointly with other stakeholders e.g. home base careers, clin-

ics, hospitals, social workers and the police.

what made you start the Project?

The number of abused and sick children in my community was increasing. It became my great concern when children come to school with empty stomach and become dizzy. With the help of a supportive principal, we requested donations from various companies, but they dragged their feet to assist us.

tell us about some challenGes you faced?Found it difficult to establish an OVC centre. The challenges I faced daily were of reaching my aims of the project: an increasing number of OVC, many of whom don’t have birth.

how did you overcome those challenGes?Established partnerships with other departments in

order to obtain birth certificates and social grants

for needy learners.

ms maria malotsa won r10 000 towards her Project for enterinG the stars in education awards.

4H, sOuL BuDDiEs, nO APOLOgiEs & COunsELLing ms. feZisa fikeni

intsinGiZi junior secondary school – biZana

ORPHAns AnD VuLnERABLE CHiLDREnms. maria malotsamakubuketja Primary school – mahwelerenG

4th Place 2010


Mrs Melia Moeketsi of Maribe Primary School in Limpopo, trounced over 100 other educators from around South Africa to be named the ISPA ‘SuperTeacher of the Year’ in September 2010. This prestigious award is sponsored by the Internet Service Providers’ Association of SA (ISPA) and UniForum SA, the .co.za domain name administrators.

Seven fi nalists were in the running and last year Limpopo scooped all the awards. Aside from the winner, Mrs Moeketsi, the runners-up, Lydia Moshupja, is from Boihutjong School, Limpopo.

The fi nalists received certifi cates as acknowledgement of their achievement at the awards function hosted at ISPA’s iWeek 2010 in Johannesburg. The winner and runner-up received Blackberry cellphones donated by NetDay Association, as well as an all-expenses paid trip to Cape Town to the eSchools’ Network Innovate conference, sponsored by UniForum SA.

Internet industry players were convinced that Mrs Moeketsi had best utilized her newly-acquired IT knowledge for the good of her school and local community, after participating in ISPA’s nationwide teacher training programme. Credits obtained from this training count towards a National Certifi cate in IT.

As HOD of the Foundation Phase of Maribe Primary School, Mrs Moeketsi has computerized her department’s administration (lesson plans, test results, etcetera). Each learner receives 30 minutes of computer literacy classes daily, and both teachers and learners use the school’s ‘Co.Za Cares’ computer centre in the afternoon.

Educators were trained on OpenOffi ce.org 2 by SETA-accredited facilitators provided by Avuxeni Computer Academy. NetDay Association was responsible for the installation of computers and educational content at the schools targeted for training. UniForum SA’s support, through its ‘Co.Za Cares’ project, has seen in excess of 2 500 computers donated and over 2 000 educators trained at more than 120 schools in 7 provinces since December 2001. ‘Co.Za Cares’ is the social development arm of UniForum SA promoting the use of Information Technology (IT) in under-resourced communities.

“The training has had a very real impact on the lives of the 2 000 participating teachers and their learners. In many cases, teachers run after-hours classes for their colleagues, their local communities and learners at their schools. This passes on the skills they have acquired even further.”

Fiona Wallace, Director, UniForum SA, ‘Co.Za Cares’ CSI Project

ISPA thanks the following sponsors of its teacher training:• Adept • AeroSat • Afrihost • Avuxeni Computer Academy• Calvin Brown• eNetworks • Enyuka Internet• Flame Computing• FrogFoot • Future Foundation• Internet Solutions• MTN Business Solutions • Mweb • Neology • Neotel • NetDay Association• Reliable Sources• RSAWeb • Skyrove • Switch Telecom• WhereNext

Physical Address: COZA House, Gazelle Close, Corporate Park, Midrand

Email: fi [email protected]: +27 (0)11 314 0077Fax: +27 (0)11 314 0088

Web: www.coza.net.za

ISPA ‘SuperTeacher of the Year’ 2010

Melia Moeketsi (2010 ISPA SuperTeacher) and Lydia Motshupja (2010 Runner-up)

REsEARCH suRVEYGet your voice heard and win r5 000

TITLE NAME

SCHOOL SCHOOL ADDRESS

TEL MOBILE

EMAIL ADDRESS

What do you love about teaching?

What makes you frustrated?

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

What support would you appreciate?

If you could, what would you change in education?

How many children are in your classroom?

Do you teach primary or high school?

What do you think about teachers getting laptops?

Are you a union member? Which one? What are the benefits to you, if you are a member?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

www.teacher.orG.Za

9


10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

How has this guide assisted you this year? What information would you like included in the National Teacher’s Guide?

How can we make the guide better for you? More competitions Special offers Advice

What prizes would you like to win?

Do you receive any other guides/magazines or newspapers at your school?

Which one do you like the best? Why?

Do you think we should make a leadership guide for principals? If so, what do you think we should include?

Should it also be sent to district managers?

Do you have access to the Internet? Do you visit any sites that help you in teaching? If you do, which one is your favourite?

Do you receive help from any NGO’s? If yes, which one? Do you think they should be recognized in the guide?

Please complete this entry form and send it to us by post or fax by 30 November 2011. Post: Freepost CB8152, Argo, PO Box 7177, Stellenbosch, 7600 | Fax: 021 865 2166. Terms and Conditions: A draw will take place on 30 November 2011 and 5 lucky entrants will each receive R1000. The outcome of the draw is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

www.teacher.orG.Za

On the 21st of January 2011, I was invited to a ceremony for the 2010 matric results (for schools under the Kathoras group) at the Mey-ersdal District offices in Alberton.

Teachers and tutors who contributed to the suc-cess of their learners in Physical Science and Maths were given an award of R2000 for every A that their learners had achieved and R1000 for every B. I felt very humbled as I received the high-est award in the function. I got R8000. My Grade 12 learners had achieved one level 7 and six level 6’s in Physical Science. I would like to thank the following people for their support during my two years of teaching at Erasmus Monareng second-ary school:

• TEACH South Africa Founders and staff for giving me a vision to run with and all the on-going support that they gave us during those two years.

• Dr Peter Glover (my TEACH South Africa mentor for his outstanding support),

• Mrs Nong (the principal of Erasmus Monareng for her 100% commitment s a leader),

• Mrs Nkushubana (the Science HOD for all the support),

• Maths and Science centre for the material that they donated - it made Science to be funny as we were able to carry out experiments

• The parents of learners for their support

• The learners themselves for their effort and commitment to their schoolwork.

It was not easy, it was touching to see them drag-ging their feet into the morning and afternoon classes, but I promised them that one day that they will reap with joy. I told them that each one of them had a great potential to pass with flying colours and they listened. Out of the 69 Science learners 28 qualified for Bachelors... I am happy to say most of them are still in touch with me and they are very confident that they are going to make a difference in this world.

TEACH AMBAssADOR Meurial Magaya wins Physical science award


25

1

The following captures where the DBE would like to be in 2025:

Learners …Attend school on time, every day, and take their schoolwork seriously. They have access to computers, a good meal, sporting and cultural activities. They have respectful relationships with their friends and dependable teachers.

Teachers …Are confident, well-trained, and continually improving their capabilities. They are committed to giving learners the best possible education, thereby contributing to the development of the nation. They enjoy job satisfaction because their conditions of service are decent and their pay comparable to that of other professions.

School principals …Ensure teaching takes place as it should, according to the national curriculum. Through responsible leadership, they promote harmony, creativity and a sound work ethic within the school community and beyond.

Parents …Are well informed about what happens in the school, and receive regular reports about how well their children perform against clear standards that are shared by all schools. They know they are listened to, and any concerns will be dealt with by education authorities at all levels.

Learning and teaching materials …Are in abundance and of a high quality. Learners and teachers know how to use computers in the school to access information they need.

School buildings and facilities …Are spacious, functional, safe and well-maintained. Learners and teachers look after their buildings and facilities because they take pride in their school.

�

Action Plan to 2014

This draft Action Plan is the DBE’s strategy to strengthen weak areas in the education system that have been identified as needing support. It has been developed in line with the Presidency’s 2009 national strategic planning,

and draws direction from the guiding document Improving Government Performance: Our approach.

By improving performance in these identified areas, learners will benefit from a higher quality education. The nation

as a whole will also benefit as school graduates with better skills and knowledge levels enter further and higher

education, and the workplace.

This document summarises the draft Action Plan the improvements that can be expected, as well as what ordinary citizens can do to contribute towards better schooling.

Short-term goals, long-term visionThe draft Action Plan sets out the goals that the national education system will be working towards, and the actions to achieve these goals, by 2014. These are the first steps towards realising the bigger, more long-term vision of quality

education in schools by 2025. This vision is called Schooling 2025.

Everyone has a part to playAs far as possible, the Action Plan indicates for each stakeholder in the system what activities they should be engaged in to realise each goal in the plan. It also suggests ways that those outside the education system can also

provide resources or expertise in support.

Clear goals, flexible strategiesThe Action Plan sets out 13 goals to be achieved related to learning and enrolment. In addition, it sets out 14 areas in

education which need to be improved to reach these goals. The DBE is not, however, telling people exactly what they must do to achieve these goals. The approach is to allow a degree of flexibility so that schools and their communities

can come up with strategies that best suit their own situation.

Measuring progress: Annual National Assessments (ANA)Each year, all learners in Grades 1 to 6 will write national tests in languages (home language and first additional

language) and mathematics at the end of the year. The purpose is to establish an objective national benchmark by which to measure literacy and numeracy achievement levels in primary schools, so that improvement can be accurately assessed, and appropriate interventions designed where additional support is needed.

Teachers will mark these standardised tests according to instructions provided by the DBE.

Parents will receive the ANA results in learners’ annual report cards at the end of the year. School Governing Bodies (SGBs) will receive a district-wide ANA report, which will be shared by other parents of the school, to allow them to

compare their own ANA results with those of other schools in the district.

The objective in making the results public is not to shame schools, or create perceptions of “winners” or “losers”, but rather to give schools and their parent communities an idea of how their achievements compare to those at other schools.

In 2011, ANA tests in languages and mathematics will be introduced for Grade 9 learners.


�

The goals of the Action PlanThe Action Plan has 27 goals.

Goals 1 to 13 deal with outputs we want to achieve in relation to learning and enrolments.

Output goals focusing on minimum quality standards1 Increase the number of learners in Grade 3 who by the end of the year have mastered the minimum language

and numeracy competencies for Grade �.2009 baseline: +/- 48% (literacy) and 43% (numeracy); 2014 target: 60% for both subjects

2 Increase the number of learners in Grade 6 who by the end of the year have mastered the minimum language

and mathematics competencies for Grade 6.2009 baseline: +/- 37% (literacy) and 19% (numeracy); 2014 target: 60% for both subjects


and mathematics competencies for Grade 9.

Baseline and targets will be determined after 2010 ANA.

4 Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who become eligible for a Bachelors programme at a university.

2009 baseline: +/- 110 000; 2014 target: 175 000

5 Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who pass mathematics.2009 baseline: +/- 125 000; 2014 target: 180 000

6 Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who pass physical science.2009 baseline: +/- 120 000; 2014 target: 170 000

Output goals focusing on improving average performance 7 Improve the average performance in languages of Grade 6 learners.8 Improve the average performance in mathematics of Grade 6 learners. 9 Improve the average performance in mathematics of Grade 8 learners.

Output goals focusing on access and progression10 Ensure that all children remain effectively enrolled in school up to the year in which they turn 15.

2008 baseline: 97.4%; 2014 target: 99%

11 Improve the access of children to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) below Grade 1.

Indicator 1 (% Grade 1 learners who’ve received formal Grade R):2008 baseline: 51%; 2014 target: 80%, but 100% if non-formal ECD is included.

Indicator 2: The enrolment ratio of children aged 0 to 52008 baseline: 25%; 2014 target: 37%

12 Improve the grade promotion of learners through the Grades 1 to 9 phases of school.

Indicator 1: % of children aged 9 who have completed Grade 3:2008 baseline: 59%; 2014 target: 65%


13 Improve the access of youth to Further Education and Training beyond Grade 9.

Indicator 1: % of youth who have received an NSC:2008 baseline: 40%; 2014 target: 50%

Indicator 2: % of youth who obtain FET qualifications.

2008 baseline: 41%; 2014 target: 65%

4

Goals 14 to 27 deal with how to achieve the 13 output goals.

Teachers14 Attract in each year a new group of young, motivated and appropriately trained teachers into the teaching

profession.15 Ensure that the availability and utilisation of teachers is such that excessively large classes are avoided.16 Improve the professionalism, teaching skills, subject knowledge and computer literacy of teachers throughout

their entire careers.17 Strive for a teacher workforce that is healthy and enjoys a sense of job satisfaction.18 Ensure that learners cover all the topics and skills areas that they should cover within their current school

year.

Learner resources19 Ensure that every learner has access to the minimum set of textbooks and workbooks required according to

national policy.20 Increase access amongst learners to a wide range of media, including computers, which enrich their

education.

Whole-school improvements21 Ensure that the basic annual management processes occur across all schools in the country in a way that

contributes towards a functional school environment.

22 Improve parent and community participation in the governance of schools, partly by improving access to

important information via the e-Education strategy.

School funding23 Ensure that all schools are funded at least at the minimum per learner levels determined nationally and that

funds are utilised transparently and effectively.

School infrastructure and support services24 Ensure that the physical infrastructure and environment of every school inspires learners to want to come to

school and learn, and teachers to teach.25 Use the school as a location to promote access amongst children to the full range of public health and poverty

reduction interventions.26 Increase the number of schools which effectively implement the inclusive education policy and have access to

centres which offer specialist services.27 Improve the frequency and quality of the monitoring and support services provided by district offices to schools,

partly through better use of e-Education.

Action Plan to 2014: An invitation to have your say The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has developed a detailed draft Action Plan to improve the quality of education in our public schools.

This draft Action Plan 2014 has already benefited from consultation with and input from key education stakeholders,

including provincial education departments and teacher unions.

This process of consultation and debate is continuing, and seeks to include your input, as well as input from school communities (governing bodies, principals, educators, parents and learners); further and higher education institutions;

faith organisations; businesses; and education experts and NGOs.


�

The goals of the Action PlanThe Action Plan has 27 goals.

Goals 1 to 13 deal with outputs we want to achieve in relation to learning and enrolments.

Output goals focusing on minimum quality standards1 Increase the number of learners in Grade 3 who by the end of the year have mastered the minimum language

and numeracy competencies for Grade �.2009 baseline: +/- 48% (literacy) and 43% (numeracy); 2014 target: 60% for both subjects


and mathematics competencies for Grade 6.2009 baseline: +/- 37% (literacy) and 19% (numeracy); 2014 target: 60% for both subjects


and mathematics competencies for Grade 9.

Baseline and targets will be determined after 2010 ANA.

4 Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who become eligible for a Bachelors programme at a university.

2009 baseline: +/- 110 000; 2014 target: 175 000

5 Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who pass mathematics.2009 baseline: +/- 125 000; 2014 target: 180 000

6 Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who pass physical science.2009 baseline: +/- 120 000; 2014 target: 170 000

Output goals focusing on improving average performance 7 Improve the average performance in languages of Grade 6 learners.8 Improve the average performance in mathematics of Grade 6 learners. 9 Improve the average performance in mathematics of Grade 8 learners.

Output goals focusing on access and progression10 Ensure that all children remain effectively enrolled in school up to the year in which they turn 15.

2008 baseline: 97.4%; 2014 target: 99%

11 Improve the access of children to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) below Grade 1.

Indicator 1 (% Grade 1 learners who’ve received formal Grade R):2008 baseline: 51%; 2014 target: 80%, but 100% if non-formal ECD is included.

Indicator 2: The enrolment ratio of children aged 0 to 52008 baseline: 25%; 2014 target: 37%

12 Improve the grade promotion of learners through the Grades 1 to 9 phases of school.



13 Improve the access of youth to Further Education and Training beyond Grade 9.

Indicator 1: % of youth who have received an NSC:2008 baseline: 40%; 2014 target: 50%

Indicator 2: % of youth who obtain FET qualifications.

2008 baseline: 41%; 2014 target: 65%

4

Goals 14 to 27 deal with how to achieve the 13 output goals.

Teachers14 Attract in each year a new group of young, motivated and appropriately trained teachers into the teaching

profession.15 Ensure that the availability and utilisation of teachers is such that excessively large classes are avoided.16 Improve the professionalism, teaching skills, subject knowledge and computer literacy of teachers throughout

their entire careers.17 Strive for a teacher workforce that is healthy and enjoys a sense of job satisfaction.18 Ensure that learners cover all the topics and skills areas that they should cover within their current school

year.

Learner resources19 Ensure that every learner has access to the minimum set of textbooks and workbooks required according to

national policy.20 Increase access amongst learners to a wide range of media, including computers, which enrich their

education.

Whole-school improvements21 Ensure that the basic annual management processes occur across all schools in the country in a way that

contributes towards a functional school environment.

22 Improve parent and community participation in the governance of schools, partly by improving access to

important information via the e-Education strategy.

School funding23 Ensure that all schools are funded at least at the minimum per learner levels determined nationally and that

funds are utilised transparently and effectively.

School infrastructure and support services24 Ensure that the physical infrastructure and environment of every school inspires learners to want to come to

school and learn, and teachers to teach.25 Use the school as a location to promote access amongst children to the full range of public health and poverty

reduction interventions.26 Increase the number of schools which effectively implement the inclusive education policy and have access to

centres which offer specialist services.27 Improve the frequency and quality of the monitoring and support services provided by district offices to schools,

partly through better use of e-Education.

Action Plan to 2014: An invitation to have your say The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has developed a detailed draft Action Plan to improve the quality of education in our public schools.

This draft Action Plan 2014 has already benefited from consultation with and input from key education stakeholders,

including provincial education departments and teacher unions.

This process of consultation and debate is continuing, and seeks to include your input, as well as input from school communities (governing bodies, principals, educators, parents and learners); further and higher education institutions;

faith organisations; businesses; and education experts and NGOs.
















With your

Education

Supplement at

your fingertips,

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Rely on award winning journalism to keep you

fully informed, and to give your venture wings.

Also available online www.dispatch.co.za

To find out about the Education Supplement Call 043 702 2089/2064

To find out more about our education supplements,contact Bev Gaia (041) 504 7495, [email protected]

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Supporting HODs, Principals and aspiring leaders with essential resources for good governance, legal compliance and leadership and management development in schools.

Knowledge

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Supporting teachers with the most up-to-date reference tools for successful classroom practice in South Africa as well as international titles showcasing best practice across the teaching profession.

SchoolManagement & Leadership

2010Volume 4 Number 7 & 8 Double edition

A new look for School

Management & Leadership!

Is published 10 times a year by

Ednews. It is editorially and fi nancially

independent and it is not affi liated to

any organisation. It seeks to provide

the leaders of South African schools

with current and relevant inform-

ation on issues of policy, leadership,

management and governance.

SM&L

1

SM&L P.O. Box 2612, Clareinch, 7740 • Tel: 021 683 2899 • Fax 086 689 5971 • E-mail: [email protected] www.ednews.co.za

POLICY LEADERSHIP MAN

AGEMENT GOVERNANCE F

OR SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOO

LS

We hope that you will enjoy this fi rst edition of our new look

double edition of School Management & Leadership. We are

delighted with the way it has turned out and hope that you will

share our enthusiasm.

Much of this edition is devoted to issues related to the current educational landscape

in this country. Our schooling system seems to be stubbornly stuck, unable to

extract itself from its past. Our analysis of the current position, as we explain in

‘School data and the health of our schooling system’ on page 10, suggests that

the problem lies with our inability to improve the quality of teaching and learning

in the bottom third of our schools. The top third of our schools, by contrast,

continue to perform well and the best of our public and independent schools are

comparable to the best in the rest of the world. One of the questions that needs

to be asked is whether it is possible to use the experience and expertise that

resides in the good practices of our excellent schools to improve the quality of

our underperforming schools and to help extract them from the morass they fi nd

themselves in. It is a model that has been used with some success in England and

we provide some of the background to how England’s Department of Education

has gone about the process of using the leaders of their best-performing schools

to improve the functionality and results of those that perform worst. For more

on this turn to page 2 and the article ‘Schools leading schools’.

It was while we were doing some of the research for the article on the successful

use of leaders of excellent schools to improve those that underperform that we

learned of the launch of an initiative of a similar vein in the Western Cape.

This initiative will see Westerford High School, one of the province’s best-

performing schools, taking management responsibility for a new school that is

due to open in January next year. The school, which is to be called Claremont

High, which incidentally was Westerford’s initial name when it was founded

in 1953, will be housed on the site of a former teachers’ training college.

The old training college buildings are being extensively altered and refurbished

to accommodate the new school, which has a planned enrolment of 500 pupils.

It is an exciting project, which if successful offers a promising alternative

approach to the current manner in which new schools are launched. Read about

this on page 4.

Almost every report you read on the state of schooling in England refers to a

body called Ofsted, which stands for the Offi ce for Standards in Education,

Children’s Services and Skills. This body, as its title suggests, is responsible

for monitoring school performance and quality. It is the English equivalent

Continued on page 3

In this issue:

Research....................................2

Schools leading schools -- a better

approach to school improvement

News.........................................4

Getting new schools off to a

better start?

News.........................................6

Establishing the foundations of

Claremont High School

News........................................7

Westerford and UCT

News........................................8

UCT -- Amongst the world’s best

universities

Research..................................9

School data and the health of our

schooling system

Opinion..................................13

How to start fi xing our schools

Management.........................14

Developing your school year plan

DoE News...............................19

The birth pains of NEEDU

NSC.........................................2

2

2009 NSC Physical Science results

-- fi nally an explanation that

makes sense

NSC........................................2

4

How good is an NSC?

Opinion..................................28

Motivation is not enough

News.....................................32

SAPA Free State Provincial

Conference


2010Volume 4 Number 9 & 10 Double edition

The cost of illiteracy, systemic school improvement, and more!

Is published 10 times a year by Ednews. It is editorially and fi nancially independent and it is not affi liated to any organisation. It seeks to provide the leaders of South African schools with current and relevant inform-ation on issues of policy, leadership, management and governance.

SM&L

1SM&L P.O. Box 2612, Clareinch, 7740 • Tel: 021 683 2899 • Fax 086 689 5971 • E-mail: [email protected] www.ednews.co.za

POLICY LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT GOVERNANCE FOR SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS

This, our fi nal edition for 2010, includes articles on three important research-based reports that have been released over the past few months. These are a report by the Bureau for Economic Research

(BER) of the University of Stellenbosch on the cost to this country of illiteracy, a report by the HSRC on educator leave-taking and its impact on schooling, and a report by McKinsey & Company on a second study that it has undertaken on school improvement efforts that have delivered results. We hope that our articles covering these reports will encourage all of our readers to get hold of copies of the full reports because of the wealth of data and insights that they provide on critical aspects of our schooling system and our own attempts to improve learner performance. Each of these reports is of interest in its own right. However, if you read them, as we have done, against the background of the performance agreement that Minister Angie Motshekga signed on behalf of her department towards the end of October, you will better understand the need for putting into practice some of the lessons that can be learned from these reports. Our schooling system has been stuck in low-performance mode for far too long with massive negative consequences for our economy and for the majority of the children of this country. The McKinsey report suggests in its fi ndings that stalled improvement efforts can be triggered into movement and progress by one of three things: a socio-economic crisis, a ‘high profi le’ critical report on the performance of the system or a change in leadership. Perhaps the release of the reports at this time will act as the trigger necessary to inject a degree of energy into our own reform efforts. We also have a new DG in place so let us hope that the combination of these two factors will at last provide the impetus for better performance that is so desperately needed.Finally a word of apology for the very late delivery of this and the previous edition. We have been working hard behind the scenes to try and ensure the long-term sustainability of School Management & Leadership and for this to happen we needed to fi nd it a home or partner it with a larger and more established business entity. This and the last edition have been a joint effort with such an entity and the delays have been a consequence of some teething problems resulting from this arrangement. Recent progress, however, has been good and we go into the new year with greater confi dence that these kinds of delays are a thing of the past and that School Management & Leadership will not only reach you more regularly but that it will continue to provide our readers with news, comment and advice on issues pertaining to the leadership, management and governance of this nation’s schools.

In this issue:Research....................................2Educator leave – the fi ndings of an HSRC investigation

News.........................................6Claremont High: update

DoE News..................................8DBE action plan

DoE News................................10The government’s delivery agreement for the basic education sector

Research..................................12Systemic school improvement strategies that work

Literacy....................................16PIRLS 2011

Literacy....................................17The cost of illiteracy

Literacy....................................20The cost of illiteracy – some collateral fi ndings

Management..........................21Monitoring learner well-being and academic performance: the role of the class teacher/tutor

Managment............................22The roles and responsibilities of subject heads

Index to Volume 4.................25

Volume 4................................27Selected Index by Topic

Is published 10 times a year by Ednews. It is editorially and fi nancially independent and it is not affi liated to any organisation. It seeks to provide the leaders of South African schools with current and relevant inform-ation on issues of policy, leadership, management and governance.

SM&L


fi ndings that stalled improvement efforts can be triggered into movement and progress by one of three things: a socio-economic crisis, a ‘high profi le’ critical report on the performance of the system or a change in leadership. Perhaps the release of the reports at this time will act as the trigger necessary to inject a degree of energy into our own reform efforts. We also have a new DG in place so let us hope that the combination of these two factors will at last provide the impetus for better performance that is so desperately needed.Finally a word of apology for the very late delivery of this and the previous edition. We have been working hard behind the scenes to try and ensure the long-term sustainability of School Management & Leadership and for this to happen we needed to fi nd it a home or partner it with a larger and more established business entity. This and the last edition have been a joint effort with such an entity and the delays have been a consequence of some teething problems resulting from this arrangement. Recent progress, however, has been good and we go into the new year with greater confi dence that these kinds of delays are a thing of the past and that School Management & Leadership will not only reach you more regularly but that it will continue to provide our readers with news, comment and advice on issues pertaining to the leadership, management and governance of this nation’s schools.

Management..........................21Monitoring learner well-being and academic performance: the role of the class teacher/tutor

Managment............................22The roles and responsibilities of subject heads

Index to Volume 4.................25

Volume 4................................27Selected Index by Topic









SM&L

P.O. Box 2612, Clareinch, 7740 • Tel: 021 683 2899 • Fax 086 689 5971 • E-mail: [email protected] www.ednews.co.za

‘School data and the health of our schooling system’ on page 10, suggests that

the problem lies with our inability to improve the quality of teaching and learning

in the bottom third of our schools. The top third of our schools, by contrast,

continue to perform well and the best of our public and independent schools are

comparable to the best in the rest of the world. One of the questions that needs

to be asked is whether it is possible to use the experience and expertise that

resides in the good practices of our excellent schools to improve the quality of

our underperforming schools and to help extract them from the morass they fi nd

themselves in. It is a model that has been used with some success in England and

we provide some of the background to how England’s Department of Education

has gone about the process of using the leaders of their best-performing schools

to improve the functionality and results of those that perform worst. For more

on this turn to page 2 and the article ‘Schools leading schools’.

It was while we were doing some of the research for the article on the successful

use of leaders of excellent schools to improve those that underperform that we

learned of the launch of an initiative of a similar vein in the Western Cape.

This initiative will see Westerford High School, one of the province’s best-

performing schools, taking management responsibility for a new school that is

due to open in January next year. The school, which is to be called Claremont

High, which incidentally was Westerford’s initial name when it was founded

in 1953, will be housed on the site of a former teachers’ training college.

The old training college buildings are being extensively altered and refurbished

to accommodate the new school, which has a planned enrolment of 500 pupils.

It is an exciting project, which if successful offers a promising alternative

approach to the current manner in which new schools are launched. Read about

Almost every report you read on the state of schooling in England refers to a

body called Ofsted, which stands for the Offi ce for Standards in Education,

Children’s Services and Skills. This body, as its title suggests, is responsible

for monitoring school performance and quality. It is the English equivalent

Continued on page 3

Establishing the foundations of

Claremont High School

News........................................7

Westerford and UCT

News........................................8

UCT -- Amongst the world’s best

universities

Research..................................9

School data and the health of our

schooling system

Opinion..................................13

How to start fi xing our schools

Management.........................14

Developing your school year plan

DoE News...............................19

The birth pains of NEEDU

NSC.........................................2

2

2009 NSC Physical Science results

-- fi nally an explanation that

makes sense

NSC........................................2

4

How good is an NSC?

Opinion..................................28

Motivation is not enough

News.....................................32

SAPA Free State Provincial

Conference









1www.ednews.co.za


2011Volume 5 – Number 1

Looking back to 2010 and forward to 2011

Is published fi ve times a year by Ednews. It seeks to provide the leaders of South African schools with current and relevant information on issues of policy, leadership, management and governance.

SM&L

1


POLICY LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT GOVERNANCE FOR SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS

T his is the fi rst edition of School Management & Leadership for 2011 and also the fi rst offi cial edition in the new 32-page format that we have jointly developed with Juta & Company (Pty) Ltd who are to

become the new owners of Ednews, the publisher of SM&L. We plan to

publish fi ve editions a year of this extended 32-page format rather than the

previous 10 editions a year of the shorter 12-to-16-page format. We are

doing this for a number of reasons, including cost savings. The benefi ts to

you, our subscribers, will include not only no price increase for 2011 but

also up to 30% more copy for your money. For more on our plans for 2011

and beyond turn to page 2.The release of the National Senior Certifi cate results always creates a

great deal of hype in schools, with matriculants and in the media, and the

2010 results were no exception. The big surprise was the 7.2% increase

in the pass rate, particularly in a year in which the academic programme

was so disrupted fi rst by the Soccer World Cup and then by the protracted

teachers’ strike. We have used the data from the DBE’s technical report

to try to better understand what the results tell us about the performance

of the class of 2010 and the teachers and schools that prepared them for

their examinations. You can read more about this in the special section

we have devoted to the 2010 NSC examinations, starting with our article

‘Lies, damned lies and statistics’ – highlighting our uneasiness that the

story of the 2010 results remains a little muddled. We are hoping to obtain

more clarity on the subject-specifi c results once we have obtained the code

distributions for each subject that we have requested from the DBE.The start of the year is a time when it is good as a school leader to look

at our own personal productivity and we have two articles related to this

topic. The fi rst deals with multitasking, what it means and whether it

represents good or bad management practice. The second deals with the

way in which we manage our time and the daily round of tasks, meetings

and routines that are part of every principal’s working life.In this edition, we also examine and provide summaries of two reports

that have signifi cance for principals and their schools. The one deals with

the future of the ACE: School Leadership qualifi cation, which has been

offered by a number of universities over the past few years and which

is proposed to be an initial qualifi cation for those who aspire to become

principals. The other looks at the status of our offi cial languages and what

is or is not being done to promote their use in schools.We hope, as always, that you will fi nd this edition an interesting and

informative read.

In this issue:News.........................................2The future of SM&L2010 NSC Results.....................3Lies, damned lies and statistics – we analyse the 2010 NSC resultsNews.........................................4National Teaching Awards2010 NSC Results.....................5Hats off to Limpopo ... and a doff of the cap to the Western Cape2010 NSC Results.....................82010 NSC Code distributions and averages2010 NSC examinations: How the districts rated

2010 NSC Results...................10The relationship between poverty and performanceNews.......................................12Claremont High: The story continuesNews.......................................14Claremont High: Interview with Murray Gibbon

Management..........................15Getting done what matters mostManagement..........................17The pros and cons of multitaskingProfessional Development.. ..19ACE: School Leadership – does it have a future?Research................................ 23The status of languages in schoolsNews..................................... 26Equal Education

News..................................... 27Eastern Cape Education Crisis: Equal Education pickets ParliamentNews.....................................28The National School Nutrition Programme in the Eastern CapeNews.....................................29 Eastern Cape education in crisis: What it means for those on the ground

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SCHOOLS: LAW AND

GOVERNANCE

SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS ACT

NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY ACT

EMPLOYMENT OF EDUCATORS ACT

AND REGULATIONS & RELATED MATERIALSSCH

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SCHOOLS: LAW AND GOVERNANCE

SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS ACT

NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY ACT

EMPLOYMENT OF EDUCATORS ACT

AND REGULATIONS & RELATED MATERIALS

ACT 84 OF 1996

ACT 27 OF 1996

ACT 76 OF 1998

UPDATED APRIL 2010

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Building customised classroom libraries with the widest selection of children’s books from SCHOLASTIC, the world’s largest children’s books publisher. To arrange a Book Fair to raise funds for your school contact us at [email protected].

THE BRAVE ‘NEW’ WORLD OF EDUCATIONCreating a unique professionalismJohannes A. Slabbert, Dorothea M. de Kock, Annemarie Hattingh

THE BRA

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In his latest book, Five Minds for the Future, Howard Gardner writes: “We … have not fi gured out how to prepare youngsters so that they can survive and thrive in a world different from one ever known or imagined before”. With its groundbreaking approach, The Brave ‘New’

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The world is changing so fast that the skills that were good enough yesterday, need to be better today. Just like top athletes, we need to sharpen our skills to help us become the best that we can be.

Up to now, the focus has been on getting the policy and the education system “fit for learning”. Now the time has come to build our skills so that we can take advantage of the new system, which will help us deliver the dream of creating a better future for all.

There are so many options for building our skills that it is sometimes difficult to decide where the best place is to start. And sometimes, this stops us from making a decision. To help you make the right choice, the best places are profiled over the next few pages. There are contact numbers and some information to help you make your choice.

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” Jimmy Dean

where to Go to imProve your skills?

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

They offer an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE)

and a range of short courses. These courses offer a

combination of in-service training, mentorship and

engagement with research.

Tel: 021 650 3368 | Fax: 021 650 5330

www.sdu.uct.ac.za/apply/courses

“I can proudly say that I am becoming a master of my subject”. ACE student

UNISA

The UNISA school of education has 4 departments:

primary, secondary and further teacher education

and educational studies which focusses on in-

service training.

Tel: 011 670 9000 or 0861 670 411

www.unisa.ac.za

AIMSSEC

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Schools

Enrichment Centre (AIMSSEC) offers free, professional

development courses for teachers.

www.aimssec.aims.ac.za

STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY

They offer an advanced certificate in education

(ACE), which offers a combination of contact and

distance education.

www.academic.sun.ac.za/education/faculty/

undergrad.html

UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG

They offers a range of courses, including diploma

and certificate courses at the Department of Educa-

tional Management.

www.uj.ac.za/eduman/home/

NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY

They offer an advanced certificate in

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They offer advanced diplomas and certificates

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BECOMing THE BEsT THERE is

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Teachers are the largest single occupational group and profession in the country. Their role has strategic importance for the intel-lectual, moral, and cultural preparation of our young people.

Conceptual, content and academic knowledge are necessary for effective teaching, together with the teacher’s willingness and ability to reflect on practice and learn from the learners’ own experi-ence of being taught. These attributes need to be integrated, so that teachers can confidently apply conceptual knowledge-in-practice.

It is clear that all teachers need to enhance their skills, not necessarily qualifications, for the deliv-ery of the new curriculum. A large majority need to strengthen their subject knowledge base, aca-demic content knowledge and teaching skills. A sizeable proportion need to develop specialist skills in areas such as health and physical edu-cation, HIV and AIDS support, diversity manage-ment, classroom management and discipline. Many need to renew their enthusiasm and com-mitment to their calling. The Education Depart-ment offers bursaries to teachers who want to improve their qualifications.

bursary requirementsThe bursaries are open to teachers with REQV 11, 12, 13 or 14 who are permanent employees of the Education Department. It covers the cost of tui-tion and books in any of the following two-year part-time courses:

• A National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) (open to applicants with REQV 11, 12 and 13)

• An Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) (open to applicants with REQV 13 or 14)

where you can studyNPDE and ACE certificate studies can be done at universities throughout South Africa. Kindly con-tact the university you are interested in for more information on these programmes.

BuRsARiEs FOR TEACHERs

how to aPPlyThe Education Department will send a circular out to all schools calling for applications at the appro-priate time. Follow the instructions to apply.

Provincial dePartments of educationEastern Cape Steve Vukile Tshwete Education Complex, Zone 6, Zwelitsha. 040 608 4200 | www.ecdoe.gov.za

Free State 55 Elizabeth Street, FS Provincial Government Building, Bloemfontein. 051 404 8000 | www.fsdoe.fs.gov.za

Gauteng 111 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg. 011 355 0000 | www.education.gpg.gov.za

KwaZulu-Natal 247 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg. 033 846 5000 | www.kzneducation.gov.za

Limpopo Corner 113 Biccard & 24 Excelsior Street, Polokwane. 015 290 7611 | www.edu.limpopo.gov.za

Mpumalanga Building No. 5, Government Boulevard, Riverside Park, Nelspruit. 013 766 5000 www.mpumalanga.gov.za/education

North West 2nd Floor Executive Block, Garona Building, Mmabatho. 018 387 3312 | www.nwpg.gov.za/education

Northern Cape 09 Hayston Road, Harrison Park. 053 830 1600 | www.ncedu.gov.za

Western Cape Grand Central Towers, Cnr Darling and Lower Plein Streets, Cape Town. 021 467 2000 | http://wced.wcape.gov.za

35

We understand the importance of providing our children with a quality educati on. It is the key that unlocks a brighter future for all. Paarl Media has been associated with the provision of aff ordable learning material in South Africa over the past 100 years. We are committ ed, passionate and proud to be working closely with the government and the educati onal sector in the printi ng and delivery of educati onal textbooks to schools.

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PROACTIVE SKILLS DEVELOPMENTPaarl Media has heeded the government’s call in the President’s State of the Nation address for partnerships with industry to avail our capacity for developing the skills of our people. Skills development is central to job creation and productivity, empowering people for meaningful participation in society.

Following a comprehensive study of international training programmes, Paarl Media has taken the lead in the development of a world class training facility, the Paarl Media Academy. It is set to raise the skills levels in the industry.

PROVIDING CRITICAL SKILLSExisting outdated trade training curricula replaced by new apprenticeship programmes, developed to international standardsApprentices earn a wage while they learn on the 2 year theoretical and practical training programmeThe Academy offers Paarl Media employees technical, skills and leadership coursesDrives personal excellence through development and performance managementAdditional value added courses offered to clients to facilitate design and preparation of material for print

CERTIFIED QUALIFICATIONAcademy is an Institute of Sectoral and Occupational Excellence (ISOE)Accredited training provider with MAPPP/FPM SETAInternational accreditation by City & Guilds, UK’s leading vocational awarding body

CAREERS IN PRINTPaarl Media offers a full range of careers, including apprenticeship programmes, to learn, earn, grow and excel while you work. For more information, visit www.paarlmedia.co.za and click on Careers or contact us

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NATIONAL PRESENCE10 printing plants across South Africa allows high quality printing of large volumes under tight deadlinesProvides provincial economic empowerment and employment opportunitiesPrinted material can be delivered more cost effectively as it is printed closer to school distribution points Reduced transport requirements minimise carbon footprint

LOCAL PRODUCTION, INTERNATIONAL STANDARDSPrinting in South Africa with Paarl Media ensures South Africa benefits from investment, job creation and skills developmentImplementation of world class technology and systems delivers books, printed at an international standard LEVEL 4 BEE ACCREDITATIONLevel 4 BEE accreditation and value added service provider status125% of clients’ procurement spend applies towards their own BEE scorecardsBroad based BEE partners, LoveLife’s Kurisani Investments, and Naspers’ Welkom Yizani investment companyOver 1 000 jobs created through successful enterprise development initiatives

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6029_ARGO_TEACHERS_DPS.indd 2 4/7/11 10:45 AM

when should we celebrate?The recent and unprecedented release by Umalusi, the body responsible for maintaining standards in the Matric exams, of the adjustments made to the 2010 scores has underlined how important it is to treat the Matric pass rate with care. Contrary to popular belief, the Matric pass rate on its own is not a good measure of academic achievement in the schooling system, nor was the pass rate ever designed for this. However, the pass rate can serve as a measure of the opportunities open to our youths. If these opportunities increase, then we should celebrate.

The Matric pass rate, or the percentage of Grade 12 learners in public schools who obtain their National Senior Certificate, is understandably something that provokes lively debate and a fair amount of anguish every year. The fact that the pass rate went up from 60.6% in 2009 to 67.8% in 2010 made headlines. To provide some idea of previous trends, in 2001 the pass rate exceeded 60% for the first time since 1994, but following a peak of almost 75% in 2003, there had been a fairly steady decline.

2010 seemed to mark the beGinninG of a new uPswinG. but there were doubts. how could such a dramatic imProvement follow the worst teacher strike the country had ever seen?

Misgivings about the marks adjustment process prompted Umalusi to open to public scrutiny, for the first time ever, documents from the standardisation process. The documents appeared to reassure the public that there had not been any undue inflating of subject marks – Umalusi is only able to adjust subject marks, not the pass rate directly. They moreover confirmed that improvements in individual subjects were smaller than the improvement that was seen in the pass rate. As an example, of the eight most commonly taken non-language subjects, one subject saw no change in the average mark, two saw a decline in the average and five saw an increase. In the case of the five subjects with an increase, the average increase was 3.5 points out of 100.

How, one may ask, is it possible to have increases of around 3.5 points in some subject averages whilst the overall pass rate increases by a whole 7.2 percentage points? A key factor is the spread of learners across subjects. When this changes, the pass rate can change, even if performance in individual subjects remains the same. In particular, if learners move to easier subjects, more learners pass. There was in fact a small shift from the harder mathematics to the easier mathematical literacy between 2009 and 2010. The percent-age of learners taking mathematics dropped from 51% to 48% – learners must take one of the two subjects.

Another important factor that influences the pass rate is the number of examination candidates. When this decreases, the percentage of well-performing learners tends to be higher, largely because the holding back of worse performing learners in Grade 11 in the previous year has been more widespread. 2010 in fact saw slightly fewer full-time candidates than 2009: around 559 000 against 581 000. This is almost certainly a factor that contributed towards the higher pass rate in 2010.

THE MATRiC PAss RATE


Comparing pass rates in different years is in fact not like comparing apples to apples. This is not a uniquely South African phenomenon. Exami-nations like our Matric are simply not designed to compare the performance of the schooling system across years. They are designed to test whether the individual learner qualifies for a cer-tificate, based on the subjects the learner has chosen. If one wants to compare how well the system is doing, one should turn to testing sys-tems like the international TIMSS and SACMEQ programmes, where South Africa has participated for some years.

So is there any cause for celebration when our Matric pass rate improves? Yes, if this means that more youths have a certificate that provides access to further studies or employment. Moreover, the fact that the average mark in certain individual subjects should have increased, for instance from 35% to 38% in life sciences (formerly biology) between 2009 and 2010 does provide an indication that learners are learning better and this should also be celebrated.

More learners need to pass Matric. This is very clear. In comparison to other similar developing countries, South Africa’s enrolment up to Grade 11 is above average. In Grade 12 enrolment is around average. But the number of Grade 12 learners successfully finishing their grade, and therefore secondary schooling, by obtaining their Matric, is low by international standards. The pass rate needs to improve further, both through better learning and therefore performance in individual subjects, and through ensuring that learners choose the combination of subjects that maximises their opportunities. The latter is not easy. Better counselling is needed. But the Grade 9 standardised assessments currently being intro-duced should partly be aimed at giving learners a better sense of where their strengths lie and hence what subjects they should select for the critical last three years of school.
















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With so many attractive-looking credit offers on the market these days, the lure is just too tempting for many of us, and why not? It’s there to be used, isn’t it? Well, yes and no really, but we’ll get into that shortly. Used with restraint, credit can help you and offer finan-cial independence, but it’s not necessarily always the solution so read on and empower yourself today.

wants vs. needsThe most important consideration when using credit – or finance as it is sometimes called – is your reason for choosing to do so. Not surpris-ingly, this is exactly what most of us struggle with.

Consumers confuse trivial wants with basic needs, and the advertising that we’re exposed to doesn’t help. To be clear, a want is typically a luxury that you won’t miss if you don’t have it. Needs, however, are essential things that you absolutely cannot do without. You can try ration-alise it another way, but you’re only fooling your-self at your own expense and you don’t deserve this burden.

The truth is that if you don’t have savings or sur-plus cash to pay for something then you cannot afford it. It’s not what most people want to hear, but it’s true. The only option in such circum-stances is borrowing money, or is it? You could plan ahead and try saving, which will save you money since you won’t need to pay all those additional fees associated with credit. You could also ask yourself whether you really need it. Be brutally honest, because that smiling salesperson certainly won’t.

choosinG a credit ProviderIf you must use credit, you should only ever con-sider registered credit providers because it affords you protection from harmful and very often illegal practices. Registered credit providers are bound to adhere to the responsible lending principles set by the National Credit Act and therefore they must act in the consumer’s best interest.

The NCA is the very reason why some consumers don’t qualify or get less than they expected when applying for credit. It’s all based on affordability assessments. In an effort to get cash at all costs, these consumers then approach the unregulated industry and expose themselves to far bigger risks. Use reputable, registered credit providers or be prepared to live with the consequences.

credit scores and recordsA credit score is a measure of your credit risk based on your payment history (i.e. account behaviour). It’s a summary of positive and nega-tive factors, including the information on your credit record.

A credit record is based on

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This helps credit providers

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You may qualify for more credit, lower interest rates or favourable repayment terms if you have a good or improved credit rating. It can open doors for you and improve your lifestyle, like a bond so you can buy a house.

further information Call our 24hr Client Care Centre on 0860 10 20 43 or visit www.capitecbank.co.za.

THE ABC OF CREDiT


maintaininG a Good credit record• Spend less than you earn and only borrow what

you can repay.

• Pay the full instalment amount owing each month.

• Pay accounts on or before the due date. Falling into arrears affects your credit record negatively.

• Don’t ignore a letter of demand for payment. Contact your credit provider to see whether you can reach a solution or agreement.

• Never ignore a court summons for non-payment because it will reflect on your credit profile.

• Do not shop around for credit unless you need it. Each enquiry reflects on your credit profile, and this can have a negative effect on future applications.

consequences of reckless borrowinGIf you cannot afford your monthly credit repayments you will end up paying for it one way or another. So what’s the big deal? How bad can things get if you default? Well, for starters, you will start receiving calls from collection agents reminding you about your financial obligations. If left, things will only get worse.

Eventually your access to further credit will be severely restricted, if not discontinued, because you will be listed at the credit bureaus. This will make it very difficult for you to get finance for a bond, car or some other big dream that you may have. Ignoring matters will only compound your problems. Simplify your life and think before you act.

Using credit is about making the right choices. This could be your reason for wanting credit or even the amount of credit that you apply for. Maintaining a good credit record can help you qualify for favour-able credit terms (something everyone dreams of having). Start small. First try managing your finances on a small scale to get a feel for credit and what it involves. This will get your impressive credit profile started and make you a more desir-able client for registered credit providers.

41

134931UNIS DPS Ad.indd 1 2011/03/04 4:17 PM

avusa education:

giVing LEARnERs A HEAD sTARTThe education system in this country is characterised by a number of problems and Avusa Education is doing its part to contribute towards improving it. Access to relevant, free, curriculum-based content remains a major obstacle for school learners, particularly in poorer areas. Systematic evaluation of Grade 3 to Grade 6 pupils shows that, as a country, South Africa is a consistently poor performer when it comes to literacy and numeracy levels.

The matric pass rates have constantly remained low and the standard of matric questioned. By leveraging its powerful newspaper brands, distri-bution networks and partnerships, Avusa Educa-tion’s publications have become valuable resource in classrooms across all education phases.

the sunday times storybooksChildren exposed to books from a young age, especially those written in their mother tongue, are more likely to develop a love of reading, a critical skill that underpins their education. But nearly 79% of South African schools do not have a library, making access to reading material dif-ficult, especially for children living in poorer areas. The Sunday Times Story Book project will distrib-ute 1 million storybooks this year free to more than 3 000 primary schools across the country. Each book contains ten stories translated into local languages such as isiZulu, Setwana, isiNde-bele, Sepedi, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.

The programme supports government’s Foun-dation for Learning campaign which seeks to improve literacy and numeracy amongst South African school children. “Our involvement in edu-cation for the past 16 years inspired us to sup-port this campaign by igniting a love for reading among our future leaders,” says Avusa Education Publisher, Patti McDonald.

The story books are especially designed for Foun-dation Phase, Grades R to 3, and Intermediate Phase, Grades 4 to 6. With 7 million children cur-rently in Grade R to Grade 6, the Storybook pro-ject aims to distribute at least one book for every two children or 3,5 million copies. “For as little as R4,50 a book, the project shows how spon-sors, readers, educators, storytellers and publish-ers can come together to give the precious gift of reading to children,” says Ray Hartley, editor of The Sunday Times.

45

WIN A NOTEBOOK!



NSFAS is a registered credit provider in terms ofthe National Credit Act 34 of 2005 (NCRP 2655)

contact NSFAS on 021 763-3232 or SMS your questions to 32261 (Mark it as “teacher”) Standard SMS rates apply.Email [email protected] or visitwww.nsfas.org.za

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Many learners have the potential to succeed but no money to study after school.These youth are often uninformed aboutthe options available to them in terms of financial aid to pay for their tertiary education and many settle for low paying jobs or unemployment.

Don’t let the learners in your school add to the negative status quo. You can help them by providing your pupils with information about study options, subject choices and financial aid that could lead them towards personal and economic success.

The reality is that our youth have a great deal of opportunity and untapped potential to venture into successful careers someday. They need role models, like yourself, to encourage them to make the most of their lives and to get an education that will help them find good jobs.

Tell them about all that NSFAS has to offer.• Learners should apply for university using their Grade 12 June results.• Learners must find out about all the deadlines for applications for courses and financial aid.

QUALIFICATIONNEEDY LEARNERS GAIN AHELP YOUR

“ With assistance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme

(NSFAS) poor youth can now achieve their goals of further education.”

NSFAS was established by the government in order to

administer loans and bursaries to financially needy

students for study at public universities and Further

Education and Training (FET) Colleges in South Africa.

STATUTORY DISCLOSURE The Fundisa Fund is not a bank deposit, but a collective investment scheme (unit trust) which is generally a medium to long term investment. The value of your investment may go down as well as up during the period of investment. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. The Fundisa Fund is traded at a ruling price and can engage in borrowing and scrip lending. A schedule of fees and charges and maximum commissions is available on request from STANLIB Collective Investments Limited (“the Manager”) Commission and incentives may be paid and if so, would be included in the overall costs. Liberty is a full member of the Association for Savings and Investments of South Africa (ASISA). The manager is a member of the Liberty Group of Companies. Trustees: Absa Bank Ltd, 6th Floor, Absa Towers North (6E1), 180 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, 2001. Telephone No. 011 350 4000.

9ZB075

Saving for Education

The Standard Bank Fundisa Fund

Call the Fundisa Contact Centre on 0860 FUNDISA (3863472).

7747

502-

1005

6

10483 Teachers Guide Co-op AdFP 9/7/10 1:16 PM Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

• The Sunday Times Career Questisastandalone48-pagetabloidsupplement,whichwillbepublishedonApril17,2011.ItisaimedatlearnersinGrades9-12,takingthemfromtheirsubjectchoicedilemmasinGrade9,totertiaryeducationconcernsandcareerqueriesinGrade12.Inthe2011editiontherewillbeaspecialfocusonscarceskillsandhowlearnerscanmakethemselvesmoreemployablebygettingtheskillsthecountryneeds.

For more information, contact:[email protected]

• The Matric Q&Ahasbeenpublishedsince2008andcontainsMatricexemplarsandmemorandasetbytopteachersintheirfield.EachpaperischeckedforaccuracybycurriculumadvisersattheNationalDepartmentofBasicEducation.TheMatricQ&A,whichwillbepublishedinMay,willgiveGrade12learnersanopportunitytochecktheirexamreadinessduringtheJune/Julyholidays,beforetheywritetheirprelims.


• The newspapers in education programme (NIE),whichwaslaunchedmorethanfiveyearsago,trainsteachersatnocostinhowtousenewspapersasanadditionalresourceintheirclassrooms.About2000teachersaretrainedayearandalsoreceivefreeworkbooksfullofideasofhowtousenewspapersatalleducationphasesfromGradesRto12.IfyouwouldliketoattendoneofourNIEworkshops,pleasecontactNoziCancaon011280-5374.


o TheNIEprogrammerunstheReadRightRockzClub,whichhas22000members;thePlanetPowerYourFutureSowetanEducationClub,whichhas7200members;andtheTeachers’Club,whichhas8200members.TheSundayTimessendsregularSMSstotheteachersandlearnerswhoaremembersoftheseclubstokeepthemuptodatewithoureducationalprojects,eventsandthesupplementspublishedinAvusanewspapers.TojointheTeachers’Club,SMSthewordTEACHfollowedbyyourname,gradeyouteachandschoolto32545.SMSsarechargedatR1


TheSundayTimesaimstomakethelivesofteachers,parentsandlearnerseasierthroughourmanyeducation-focusedpublications.In2011weplantoproducethefollowingpublications:

• ReadRightisa16-pagemagazinepublished12timesayearandinsertedintothefullrunoftheSundayTimes.Itwaslaunchedmorethan10yearsagotoaddressaneedforeducationalmaterialforclassroomsandhomes.Itisaimedatchildrenagedbetween6and13years,theparentsofthesechildrenandteachersofGradesRto8.Themagazinecontainsapull-out-and-keepcentre-spreadposteridealforuseintheclassroom,teachertipsandactivitiesforthelearnertodointheclassroom.Italsocontainsfourpagesthatcanbefoldedintoa16-pagebookletfilledwithusefulinformation,puzzlesorfunfactsonaparticulartopic.In2011ReadRightwillbepublishedonJanuary30,February20,March27,April24,May29,June26,July31,August28,September25,October30,November27andDecember18.


• The Sunday Times Storybookhasbeentranslatedintoall11officiallanguagesandisaimedataddressingthelackofreadingresourcesinschools.Corporates,theDepartmentofBasicEducationandSundayTimesreaderscontributedtotheprintinganddistributionof650000storybooksin2009/2010.In2011theSundayTimeswilldeliveranother500000copiestoschools.


PUTTING EDUCATION FIRST

Grade4learners,taughtbyHappyKhukhama(aboveleft),taketurnstoreadfromaReadRightcut-out-and-keepstorybook

Whilst information and communication tech-nologies (ICT) are not a magic solution to pro-viding access to education, they do offer the possibility of bridging distances and bringing expert teaching to remote areas.

They also provide a ‘library’ of resources, which can support you in teaching and improv-ing your skills for the future. There are some great websites to support you – take a look at www.teacher.org.za or www.thutong.org.za for ideas. And help your learners research their future study options on www.sastudy.co.za to make sure they make the right choice for their future.

the teacher laPtoP initiativeThe Teacher Laptop Initiative, spearheaded by the Department of Basic Education (DoBE), addresses South Africa’s need for a quality edu-cation system and forms part of the cohesive plan by the DoE and other stakeholders in education to improve the overall quality of education by making resources available to learners and teach-ers in the public education sector.

frequently asked questions around ict. 1. question“To many of us, it looks as if the laptops are over-priced and would end up costing in the region of R 15 000 if taken over the 5 year period.”

answerIt is imperative to note that the monthly costs are not only for the laptop, but that it is the total costs for the complete packages.

The packages includes the following:

• Connectivity (250Mb – 1Gig per month - usually worth about R140 to R290 p/m is included in the monthly package cost.)

• Software: Office Enterprise, Adobe Digital

Schools Collection and Presenter Package, Symantec Anti Virus to the total value of R15 000+. The ELRC TLI Task Team has managed to get all this for a total cost of only R668 and is covered in the monthly package cost.

• Insurance

• 5 year carry in warrantee

• Finance costs

If any teacher can find a laptop with the above included for cheaper than any offering by one of the accredited suppliers, they should contact the ELRC and bring the matter to our attention, as suppliers have guaranteed the exclusivity of their offerings for teachers.

2. questionWho qualifies and who is eligible for the laptop subsidy?

answerEvery public school-based educator employed in terms of the Employment of Educators Act and who occupies a permanent post on the establish-ment of the school would be eligible to qualify to participate in the initiative.

The rollout of the TLI will be taking place in cohorts specific to the size and funds available to the individual Provincial Education Departments (PEDs). Government Gazette (GG) 32207 specifies that the PEDs will implement the allow-ance on a preference list of teachers based on seniority.

3. questionWhere do I purchase my laptop? Who are the providers?

answerIn line with its mandate to serve the needs of the public education sector, the ELRC, in consulta-tion with the DBE and the Combined Teacher’s Unions (CTU-SADTU and CTU-ITU) identified 12 accredited suppliers for the TLI, based on

HOw CAn COMPuTERs HELP us?


the requirements as set in Government Gazette

32207 and the criteria as determined by the ELRC

TLI Task Team. As the teacher will be contracting

directly with the supplier, it is important to note

that these suppliers were identified through public

engagement and not a tender.

The 12 provisionally accredited consortia/suppli-

ers participating in the first phase of the TLI are:

Dell/Laptitude; Fujitsu; Hewlett-Packard; Lenovo;

MTN, Pinnacle Technologies Holdings Limited;

Sahara Systems; Telkom/Mustek; Vodacom, LG

and Cell C.

The provisionally accredited service provid-

ers have identified outlets or “one-stop shops”

where a teacher may purchase the complete

package (including the finance agreement). The

provisionally accredited service providers have a

“good, better, best” range of packages where the

maximum all-inclusive monthly repayment will not

exceed R390.00. The TLI website (www.teacher-

laptop.co.za) and the suppliers directly, can be

consulted in this regard.

4. questionI have never used a laptop before, will I be offered training?

answerYes. It is imperative that teachers be properly

trained and coached to empower them to utilize

the laptops and the accompanying applications

to its fullest capacity and ultimately ensure quality

learning and teaching in the classroom.

To this extent the strategic partners to the initia-

tive are reinvesting time and resources towards

the training and development of teachers in ICT

and Computer Literacy. A training and Devel-

opment Committee had been established and

together with our strategic partners, a Training

and Development strategy had been formulated.

The strategic partners to the initiative are the soft-

ware suppliers Microsoft, Symantec and Adobe,

as well as Cisco Systems, Intel, SchoolNet and

Mindset who are reinvesting in the initiative

towards the professional development and train-

ing of teachers.

Information supplied by DOE

55

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CENTRE FOR EDUCATION POLICY DEVELOPMENT (CEPD) | www.cepd.org.za

CEPD is a professionally autonomous Centre established in 1993 on the initiative of the mass democratic

movement in order to start developing education policy for a democratic South Africa.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE | www.education.gov.za

EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL | www.ei-ie.org

Education International represents nearly 30 million teachers and education workers. Our 401 member organisa-

tions operate in 172 countries and territories. As the world’s largest Global Union Federation, and the only one

representing education workers in every corner of the globe.

EDUCATION AFRICA | www.educationafrica.com

Education Africa, addresses two of the most critical educational issues facing South Africa’s marginalised com-

munities: accessibility to quality education and relevance of education.

GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION SOUTH AFRICA |

www.campaignforeducation.org/en/south-africa

The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) is a civil society movement that aims to end the global education crisis.

The GCE’s mission is to make sure that governments act now to deliver the right of every girl, boy, woman and

man to a free quality public education.

NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME OF SOUTH AFRICA (NSFAS) | www.nsfas.org.za

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS) seeks to impact on South Africa`s

historically skewed student, diplomate and graduate populations by providing a sustainable financial aid

system that enables academically deserving and financially needy learners to meet their own and South

Africa`s development needs.

SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION (SAIDE) | www.saide.org.za/frontend

The South African Institute for Distance Education was formed as an educational trust in July 1992. Its explicit

brief is to assist in the reconstruction of education and training in South Africa. It promotes open learning prin-

ciples, the use of quality distance education methods and the appropriate use of technology.

SOUTH AFRICAN AGENCY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT (SAASTA) |

www.saasta.ca

SAASTA is an agency of the National Research Foundation (NRF). The mandate is to advance public awareness,

appreciation and engagement of science, engineering and technology in South Africa.

SA HISTORY ONLINE | www.sahistory.org.za

Rewriting history, critically examining our past and strengthening the teaching of history.

websites to suPPort you

HELP is JusT A CLiCK AwAYGeneral websites


websites to suPPort you

HELP is JusT A CLiCK AwAYGeneral websites

...OR JusT CALL

African Leadership AcademyT: 084 241 1196 | E: [email protected] www.theartherapy.co.za

Argo - Multi-media Educational PublishersAs an entrepreneurial company, we are focused on connecting with leaders to make a discern-able difference in South Africa, by supporting achievers in times of critical change.T: 021 865 2813 | F: 021 865 2166 E: [email protected] | www.argo.org.za

Department of EducationT: 0800 202 933 | www.education.gov.za

Department of Science and TechnologyE: [email protected] | www.dst.gov.za

Education International (EI)E: [email protected] | www.ei-ie.org

Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC)T: 012 663 0432 | E: [email protected] www.elrc.co.za

Education Rights Project (ERP)T: 011 717 3076 | E: [email protected] www.erp.org.za

E-School Network (ESN)T: 021 683 8719/ 9140 E: [email protected] www.esn.org.za

Extra-Mural Education Project (EMEP)E: [email protected] | www.emep.org.za

Government Employee Medical Scheme (GEMS)T: 08600 4367 | M: 083 450 4367 E: [email protected] | www.gems.gov.za

Home Language ProjectT: 011 646 3070 | www.hlp.org.za

Learningthings AfricaT: 011 719 4100 | E: [email protected] www.learnthigs.co.za

National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)T: 0800 202 933 / 012 312 5911 E: [email protected] www.education.gov.za

Opening Learning Systems Education Trust (OLSET)T: 011 339 5491/7 | E: [email protected] www.olset.org.za

Planned Parenthood Association of South AfricaT: 011 523 1400 | E: [email protected] www.ppasa.org.za

Project LiteracyT: 012 323 3447 | E: [email protected] www.projectliteracy.org.za

READ Educational TrustT: 011 496 3322 | E: [email protected] www.read.co.za

Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (RAPCAN)T: 012 712 2330 | E: [email protected] www.rapcan.org.za

SAstudy.co.zaSAstudy.co.za is South Africa’s most compre-hensive database of all undergraduate qualifica-tions which helps learners and students to make the right decisions about what to study, who to contact, where to stay and what’s needed for a successful student life.T: 021 865 2813 | F: 021 865 2166 E: [email protected] | www.sastudy.co.za

SchoolnetT: 011 403 5777 | E: [email protected] www.schoolnet.org.za

Teacher.org.za Teacher.org.za is an online platform where key stakeholders in education can connect, col-laborate and participate to make a discernible difference to the future of South Africa. Regularly updated with the latest education-related news, it also provides a dynamic opportunity for teachers to pro-actively get involved, share ideas and sug-gest solutions. T: 021 865 2813 | F: 021 865 2166 E: [email protected] | www.teacher.org.za

57

Information Technology learners and teachers benefi t from the Mindset Learn and UniForum SA partnership.

In 2010 Mindset Learn developed Information Technology (IT) Grade 11 materials sponsored by UniForum SA, the co.za domain name administrator. The materials have been distributed free of charge to over 425 government and independent schools, benefi tting up to 25 000 learners studying IT for Grades 10 and 11.

The materials comprise 9 hours of video content (also broadcast on DStv & Toptv Channel 319), 25 hours of computer-based interactive multimedia content, as well as associated print content.

Gauteng Education HOD Boy Ngobeni received the Mindset Learn materials from UniForum SA Chair Theo Kramer at a launch attended by

representatives of various government education departments, schools and the media at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg in November 2010.

Mr Kramer said, “The nature of UniForum SA’s business means that we are in the perfect position to witness fi rst-hand the growing importance of the online world while appreciating the absolute necessity of joining it. Our investment in South African IT education continues to grow every single year thanks to a very fruitful partnership with Mindset Learn.”

Mr Ngobeni added, “It is truly impressive that non-profi t entities like UniForum SA continue to collaborate with NGOs like Mindset Learn in securing South Africa’s future in this new century.”

Mindset Network CEO, Roith Rajpal agreed with the HOD, “We have always believed in partnerships with like-minded corporates. Through such partnerships, Mindset Learn has developed curriculum-aligned content for Grades 10 to 12 in critical subjects. The IT Grade 10 materials are already in use and the Grade 12 materials will be ready for distribution by September 2011.”

Mindset Learn’s relationship with UniForum SA goes back a long way, the latter having now funded the development of IT support materials from Grade 10 to Grade 12. In 2012, Mindset Learn will receive further funding from UniForum SA to develop CAT support materials for the FET phase.

Mindset Learn is aimed at high school learners and educators in the FET band (Grades 10, 11 and 12). The programme strives to assist learners and teachers in their schooling through multi-media content. Content is aligned to the curriculum in the subjects of English, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Information Technology and Mathematical Literacy. Altogether 112 schools receive on-demand content while over 2 million homes in Southern Africa receive broadcast content via South African satellite television (DStv and Toptv both on channel 319).

IT Learners and Teachers benefi t

Contacts: www.mindset.co.za/learn | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 086 100 6463

Theo Kramer, Chair UniForum SA and Boy Ngobeni, HOD Gauteng Department of Education

Most popular publisherEvery year more teachers buy Heinemann, which is why Heinemann is known as “the teacher’s choice”. In 2010 more Heinemann books were bought than any other textbooks!

Let Heinemann help you with CAPSFrom 2012 South Africa will implement the new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) in Grades 1, 2, 3 and 10. The current materials won’t match the CAPS, and schools will need to select new books from a national catalogue.

So put on your thinking “CAPS” and choose Heinemann’s hugely popular courses to ensure you get the best possible support!

Every Heinemann course offers • a comfortable teaching experience• an enjoyable and effective learning experience • top academic results• complete curriculum coverage

Heinemann partners with teachers and subject experts to make sure we provide everything that teachers and learners need in a clear, easy-to-use format. Tel: 011 322 8600, fax: 0866 877 822

or e-mail: [email protected]

Visit our website at www.heinemann.co.za.

South Africa’s leading Mathematics publisherHeinemann is South Africa’s leading Mathematics publisher!

Over half of senior secondary school learners in South Africa use Classroom Mathematics. And for teachers looking for something different, there is huge-take-up of Heinemann’s Spot On Mathematics, part of Heinemann’s Spot On series that has swept through schools in every province. As our customers say, “Spot On is spot on!”.

Practical teacher supportHeinemann also provides a professional teacher training service through nationwide workshops. Every teacher who attends a Heinemann workshop walks away empowered with practical insights they can apply in the classroom.

The Teacher’s Choice

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The Teacher’s Choice

National TG Mag Ad DPS.indd 1 2011/02/24 3:29 PM

THE gRAMMAR DEBATE by sarah murray

The headlines trumpet “Grammar to go!” It would be worrying if this was true, but it isn’t.

Commentators in the recent furore about the status of grammar in the curriculum have seen one docu-ment, that for English Home Language Grades 10 to 12. NAPTOSA president, Ezrah Ramasehla, makes the point that, “for the majority of learners in South Africa, the language of learning and teaching is English, which in most cases is their second, or even third, language.” And he quite rightly expresses the view that the development of their competence in English grammar is therefore crucial for their education in all their other subjects.

For students learning additional languages there are strong arguments for the explicit teaching of gram-mar and other important aspects of language such as vocabulary. However, it must be borne in mind that grammar teaching alone will not improve learners’ use of the language, especially if grammar is taught in an isolated, meaningless and decontextualised way. Learners’ ability to understand, read and write with con-fidence in their additional language depends largely on the opportunities they have to use the language for a wide range of purposes. Most importantly, they need to read a great deal both for pleasure and information.

Nevertheless, grammar does play an important role in learning an additional language. For grammar teach-ing to be effective, it should be taught with a focus on meaning as well as form. It should be taught in con-text as part of both reading and writing lessons. Learners should attend to how grammar is used to express meaning in written texts, and they should be taught to proof-read their own writing. Teachers should give learners feedback on their use of grammar, and should plan lessons around common errors. There also needs to be a systematic programme of grammar teaching. In Grades 10 to 12, this would include both revision and the introduction of new grammatical structures necessary to communicate complex ideas.

Mr Ramasehla will, I hope, be pleased to learn that all these aspects of grammar are covered in the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for First Additional Language in Grades 10 to 12. So all the students he is concerned about will have extensive exposure to formal grammar.

Furthermore, the explicit teaching of grammar is first introduced in Grade 3, so learners should enter Grade 10 with a reasonable command of their additional language, provided of course that teachers have the required knowledge and training to put the curriculum into practice.

teachinG Grammar in a home lanGuaGe is different. the teacher can assume that learners have a knowledGe of the Grammar of their home lanGuaGe. however, learners need to become more aware of how Grammar makes meaninG and how to use this as a tool in their own writinG.


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In home language curricula worldwide grammar is generally included in sections dealing with listening and speaking, reading and writing skills rather than treated as a separate item in the curriculum. The CAPS for Home Language Grades 10-12 also adopts this approach. Detailed sections on word choice, register, spell-ing and punctuation, sentence construction and paragraph writing are included under headings dealing with listening and speaking, reading and writing. However, the Home Language CAPS also includes a separate, detailed list of language structures and conventions to be taught in context and, if necessary, explicitly with time set aside for this. This approach is different from traditional ways of teaching grammar and will be new to untrained teachers, so they will require support to put it into practice. There may be a role for the teacher unions in this respect.

With regard to the assessment of languages in Grades 10 to 12, there are now two written exam papers, one for ‘reading and viewing’ and another for ‘writing’. There is a third oral examination in ‘listening and speaking’. The formal assessment tasks carried out during the year include language use and summary writing as part of ‘reading and viewing’, and it is to be hoped that this will be the pattern in the end of year examinations as well. There is some danger that when something in the curriculum is not formally examined, it may assume less importance for both teachers and learners. So I would expect that assessment of gram-mar is built into the formal assessments.

For someone like myself, involved in language teacher education, it is very encouraging to see people taking such a lively interest in the languages curriculum. I’ve heard people expressing their views about the ‘grammar debate’ on radio talk shows, and I’ve read fascinating on-line discussions on the topic. It dem-onstrates the active involvement of professional organisations and ordinary people, and reflects an increas-ingly sophisticated understanding of the curriculum and its central role in education. May this continue!

sarah murray is a senior lecturer in the education dePartment at rhodes university, sPecialisinG in lanGuaGe and literacy.

















oliver tambo’s story The following is an edited version of a speech Doron Isaacs (coordinator of Equal Education) delivered at Equal Education’s first “reading”, held at The Bookery – Home of the Equal Edu-cation Book Drive, on 6 and 7 March 2011.

OLIVER TAMBO is a South African hero. Tambo served as ANC President for 27 years, from 1963 until 1990. Tambo came from a poor household but was fortunate enough to receive a good edu-cation, which allowed him to escape poverty and realise his full potential.

tambo’s storyOliver Tambo was born in Pondoland in the East-ern Cape in 1917. At first, he didn’t enjoy going to school. His father knew this, so would sometimes lend him his horse to ride to school, which he enjoyed doing. People in the village would tease Tambo’s father for letting Tambo and his brothers go to school, while he stayed at home and looked after the cattle. They had all their sons stay at home and look after the cattle. But Tambo’s father was determined that he and his brothers get an education.

Tambo’s family was poor and couldn’t afford the school fees. The two brothers almost had to stop going to school, but luckily two women from Eng-land, Joyce and Ruth Goddard, agreed to spon-sor them. The women couldn’t afford the whole amount of their fees though, so Tambo’s older brother, who worked as a coal miner in Natal, paid the rest of the boys’ school fees. Luck was not always on Tambo’s side. He had to move schools many times and this resulted in him having to repeat Grade 8 three times. During his third year in Grade 8 he also developed TB in his chest, and had to undergo surgery which confined him to hospital for a while.

Tambo completed the majority of his high school years in Johannesburg. The standard of educa-tion there was much higher than that in Pondo-land, and this motivated him to work even harder.

Tambo began to enjoy school and was particu-larly good at Maths and Science. In 1936 Tambo wrote his school leaving examinations. He and his friend, Joe Mokoena, achieved First Class First Division passes. That year only one other boy in the whole Transvaal region was able to match that – and he was white. Tambo went on to study Maths and Science at the University of Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape.

conclusionToday, there are many young people as bright as Tambo who never get that lucky break. The reason Equal Education exists is to give eve-ryone a chance to use their talents. When that happens, humanity benefits, because we don’t lose out on the contributions of the many other potential Olivers.

Article supplied by Equal Education.

A sTORY ABOuT THE POwER OF gETTing A gOOD EDuCTATiOn

oliver tambo is a south african

hero. tambo served as anc President

for 27 years, from 1963 until 1990.


Drawing from research and development work that was used for the Education Handbook, www.teacher.org.za will provide an up-to date overview of the key issues and initiatives that influence education in South Africa.

Featuring a real-time blog and regular updates, it is set to become the leading source of education-related information in the country. Most importantly, it will provide key role-players with a dynamic opportunity to pro-actively get involved, share ideas and identify solutions.

THE SHAPE OFTHINGS TO COMETeacher.org.za is an online platform where key

stakeholders in the Education Arena can connect,

collaborate and participate to make a discernible

difference to the future of our children.

Together we can do more.

We need you to help us shape this exciting NEW project and the way it will support all of us in reaching the collective goal of quality education in South Africa. Log onto www.teacher.org.za today and post your comments to make a real difference.


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