Report on Progress Towards a New, Strengthened, Integrated Plan for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa

Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training12 May 2010

• National Teacher Development Summit held in July 2009. 

• Joint Summit Declaration called for the development of a new, strengthened, integrated Plan for teacher education and development in South Africa.

• Management structures and processes were put in place to develop the Plan.

• Progress report was submitted to Ministers in October 2009

• The first formal report on the Plan submitted to the Teacher Development Advisory and Steering Committees on 31 March 2010.  

Background

Organisational structure for developing plan

SECRETARIAT

Advisory Committee

Teacher Development Steering Committee

Working Group 1

Working Group 2

Working Group 4

Working Group 3

New, strengthened, integrated national plan for teacher development

Output

HEDCOM

CEM

CTU-SADTU CTU-ITU ELRC SACE ETDP-SETA DoE

Working Group Area of Work (Declaration Statements)InstitutionalArrangements

Strengthening the system to provide quality teacher education and development – e.g. explore opening colleges; strengthening existing HEI provisioning; alternative models (3.4.1 and 3.4.2)

Needs andProgrammes

Appraisal for identifying development needs; recognition of competence; recognition of prior learning; quality programmes to meet needs (3.2 and 3.4.3 to 3.4.6)

SupportStructures

Streamlined and strengthened DoE, PED and district structures to support teacher development (3.3.3 and 3.3.4)

Priorities andFunding

Identify all existing funding streams; examining current bursary and loan schemes; propose mechanisms to improve, streamline and enable national coordination of funding; identify system priorities (3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 3.3.5)

TD Plan report 31 March 2010

• The report is divided into four sections focusing on work related to each of the four technical working groups

• Each section provides an overview of the work done and specific recommendations for the overall plan, supported by evidence

• Main recommendations include:– Integrated institutional landscape with increased

capacity to provide initial teachers and support for continuing professional development

– ICT based system for identifying teacher needs and enabling access to quality PD opportunities

An integrated Plan• An integrated TD Plan is being

developed using the reports • The Plan will–provide a 20 – 30 year vision with

clear mechanisms for achieving this in 3 – 5 year cycles (nested plan)– include the focused and

prioritised use of all funding currently in the system and –be used as the basis for MTEF Bids

for any additional funding required to ensure full implementation

Key recommendations for the integrated long term plan

• The recommended model provides an integrated institutional framework bringing together all aspects related to the Plan, including the production of new teachers, support for existing teachers and managers to develop their core professional capabilities, and the means for coordination

• The model deals directly with the issue of strengthening the current system, opening colleges where appropriate and ensuring a coordinated response to teacher development needs

Elements underpinning the recommendations

• teaching is promoted as a graduate profession (following the NPFTED)

• continuing professional development seen as a key responsibility of individual teachers and managed through a SACE maintained and managed Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) System

• the model builds on existing structures – builds from the real to the ideal

• the recommendations are evidence based drawing on international and local research

Key principles that inform the institutional model and plan

• Enhanced capacity and capability• Improved quality • Increased access• Equity• Integration, coordination and

effectiveness• Relevance• Viability

SACE CPTD-MS

SACE endorsed CPD providers

The recommended institutional model

National Level

Provincial Level

District Level

DHET DBE

NCPDTEIsTSs

PEDs PTDIPTDCC

PPSsDTDC

Benefits of the proposed model•integrated planning at national, provincial and district levels;•better coordination;•improved monitoring;•better quality and better focused provision;•increased HET capacity for qualification programmes;•increased access to teacher education qualifications and short CPD programmes, especially for teachers and potential teachers in rural areas;•greater use of economies of scale;•streamlined procedures;•intensified use of existing high quality programmes and materials; and•improved and more focused funding mechanisms.

Where to …• By June 2010 a single, fully integrated and fully-costed draft

national plan for teacher education and development will be ready for approval

• MTEF bids to Treasury in order to secure additional funds required for implementing the Plan during the 2011/12 – 2015/16 period will be submitted by end of June 2010.

• The draft report should be circulated by the principals of all stakeholder groups to their members for input and constructive critique. Stakeholder groups should create forums where the recommendations can be explored.

• A national round table to discuss the plan with all stakeholders will be held on 8 June before finalising the plan

• From July 2010 provincial workshops will be held to ensure broad based understanding and buy in