PROGRESS REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EDUCATION COLLABORATION FRAMEWORK (ECF)

Presentation to Portfolio Committee: 08 September 2015

ORGANISATION OF THE PRESENTATION

1. Purpose and intentions of the NECT

2. Progress against the Education Collaboration Themes

Professionalisation of teaching

Promotion of courageous and effective leadership

Support to the capacity of the state

Resourcing ( Addressed as a cross-cutting issue)

Parent and community involvement

Learner Welfare

3. Governance aspects

4. Conclusion

BACKGROUND

National Development Plan (NDP) vision is to see 90% of the learners achieving over 50% in

Mathematics and Science by 2030.

Education Collaboration Framework (ECF) responds to NDP call for greater collaboration amongst

social partners in improving education outcomes. The ECF provides a framework for collaboration

involving government, business, labour and civil society.

National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) is the implementing agent of ECF mandated to work

with an initial number of eight districts in five provinces, comprising 4362 schools, 66 000 teachers and

nearly 2 million learners.

The NECT has been set up as vehicle to improve alignment of the non-governmental inputs and to

serve as a laboratory in 10% of the districts comprising 20% of the schools nationally.

The NECT champions the DBE’s district approach.

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE ECF THEMESTHEME 1: PROFESSIONALISATION OF TEACHING

Teachers are being supported to ensure full curriculum coverage and sustained learner

achievementThe approach is enabling teachers to develop and refine the practical skills and routine tasks that are

required for them to undertake their responsibilities effectively.

A total of 13 898 support units have been provided to teachers ( 3,8 days per schools) since January 2015.

District officials and teachers are enthusiastic about the Learning Programmes approach which -

Creates a set of Standard Operating Procedures that districts, school management and teachers are

expected to follow in order to bridge the gap between curriculum expectation and class practices;

Has already been introduced in 1536 schools – 35% of the NECT schools

Learning programmes comprise lesson plans, and basic materials such as posters and curriculum

trackers that help to integrate materials in the classrooms as well as structure the pitching and

pacing of the curriculum.

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE ECF THEMESTHEME 1: PROFESSIONALISATION OF TEACHING

Five Stakeholder dialogues have been organised since last year on ‘teacher professionalism’. The

dialogues-

•Created an avenue for structured conversations among stakeholders representing government,

business, labour and civil society,

•Contributed to minimising gaps in perceptions among stakeholders,

•Kept over 5 900 stakeholders on the NECT/DBE database informed about the teacher

professionalisation programme and over 390 000 people reached through print and electronic media,

•Contributed to nurturing a common education improvement agenda.

•Were organised in partnership with a range of stakeholder groups including universities and NGOs.

•Are continuing at national and provincial levels.

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE ECF THEMESTHEME 2: COURAGEOUS AND EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

Practice-based support to school principals and their heads of subject and phase departments

to take more effective control and responsibility for the performance of schools;

•A total of 8 000 support units were provided to School Management Teams (SMTs) - 5.2 visits

per school.

•While it is too early to claim that the anticipated management outcomes have materialised in

all of the target schools and districts, there are confirmed reports of

– school functionality improvements in terms of an increased number of schools days

being utilised for teaching and learning,

– the increased role of principals and heads of Department in the management of

curriculum delivery.

•The systems and materials on which the training and coaching are based are beginning to

change attitudes and behaviour among management staff regarding their roles in schools.

WHO BENEFITS?

DIRECT BENEFIT

INDIRECT BENEFIT

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE ECF THEMESTHEME 3: SUPORT TO THE CAPACITY OF THE STATE

The NECT has organised additional capacity from the private sector to support Operation Phakisa

which support involves investigating and implementing technology solutions in education

An advisory committee comprising senior private sector and government experts has been

established to advise the Minister in this respect. The Committee and technical assistants make

inputs in Operation Phakisa.

Arrangements are underway between DBE/NECT and the FirstRand Empowerment Fund to engage

the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) to assess the existing connectivity levels in the

4362 NECT schools.

The DBE/NECT are working to establish technical requirements for revamping the school

administration system (SA-SAMS). The Zenex Foundation is funding the research of the User

Requirements.

DBE/NECT are consolidating school ICTs blueprints from a range of examples that have emerged in

the past decade nationally and internally.

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE ECF THEMESTHEME 5: IMPROVED PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The multi-stakeholder District Steering Committees set up in 2013 are continuing to play a critical

oversight, support and community mobilisation roles in the eight NECT target districts

Two years after the DSCs were established, their membership and leadership remain stable and committed.

The DSCs have been meeting every quarter and in some cases more frequently.

In between their governance meetings, DSCs have met with their SGBs, traditional leaders, business

communities and teacher unions.

•DSCs have prioritised mobilising stakeholders around the following issues-

Attendance and punctuality

School performance (ANA and NSC)

Support to NSNP – school gardens

Psycho-social issues

Reading and homework

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE ECF THEMESTHEME 6: LEARNER WELFARE

The approach to learner welfare and development is to maximise the potential for the

success of each learner.

•Over 372 000 units of learner resources including learner activity books, dictionaries and

posters have been distributed to the Fresh Start Schools.

•Learner screening and referral model was successfully piloted in Belabela circuit by a

collaboration including four universities, several NGOs, the three departments responsible

for education, health, social development and treasury (G-TAC).

– A new screening instrument targeting learners and teachers was produced by the University

of South Africa as part of the pilot.

– The screening instrument is being trialed out in the NECT target districts.

NECT GOVERNANCE ASPECTS

2014 2015 Oct -Dec Jan - Mar Apr – June July-Sep TotalBoard meeting 2 2 1 1 6EXCO 2 1 3

The NECT is meeting its corporate governance requirements.

•As per the table below, a total of six Board meetings and three EXCO meetings were held since

the last quarter of 2014.

A financial audit of the NECT was completed in March 2015 by Ernst & Young. Unqualified audit

opinion.

•NECT Operations in 2013/2014 were primarily funded by 24 organisations and the total funding

amounted to R116 628 169.2014 2015 ( as at July 15)

Government 42 620 985 52 60 000 000 55Private Sector 38 843 186 48 49 000 000 45

81 464 171,0 109 000 000

CONCLUSION

The NECT is demonstrating a model for partnerships as called for by the NDP.

In line with the Education Collaboration Framework, the DBE is coordinating the inputs

of business, labour and civil society in a more effective way in pursuance of the vision

of the NDP.

Labour, business and civil society representative at the national and provincial levels of

the NECT remain committed to working with the DBE as the anchor partner in this

collaboration.

90% of the learners achieving over 50% in Mathematics and Science by 2030