BuaNews (Tshwane)
Gabi Khumalo
3 December 2008
Pretoria — The Education Department has put in place measures to support a target set for an average learner to perform no less than 50 percent in literacy and mathematics by 2011.
Reporting on the foundation for learning during a briefing on the department's programme, priorities and state of readiness for 2009 on Wednesday, the department reported that the Foundation for Learning Campaign launched by Education Minister Naledi Pandor in March 2008 focuses on offering quality teaching and learning from Grade one to six.
Director General Duncan Hindle said in working towards the department's goal of improved literacy and numeracy, directives have been made known to the system including that every classroom is appropriately resourced, teachers plan and teach effectively and teachers assess learner performance regularly.
"Each school must ensure that every teacher has at least the basic minimum resources in the classroom as listed in the government gazette of 14 March 2008, schools will put the core task of teaching at the centre stage and all teachers are expected to be in their classes teaching planned lessons during contact time," Mr Hindle said.
On schools safety, Mr Hindle said during 2009 the department will be focussing on monitoring the implementation and impact of the various school safety interventions and providing support to teachers to facilitate effective discipline and behaviour management in the classroom.
"The department reported that several interventions, which have been put in place to address the incidence of crime and violence at schools impacted positively on the incidence of crime, violence and vandalism in schools with some schools reporting change behaviour among the learners intervention," Mr Hindle said.
The interventions included CCTV systems to monitor access and behaviour, the Hlayiseka programme to assist with the management of school safety, exploring humanitarian law to develop social awareness and civic responsibility, youth camps to instil positive values, example of a code of conduct to support extra curricular activities, while at the same time addressing life skills.
The interventions also include sport for development to create sustainable extra curricular activities, while at the same time addressing life skills and legislation for drug testing to enable schools to test learners where reasonable suspicion exists.
Meanwhile, the department reported that marking of the National Senior Certificate Examinations papers started full swing on Tuesday with minor irregularities reported during the exam time.
"Only minor irregularities like schools starting late due to floods and electricity problems were reported during the examination period, which started on 29 October 2008," the department said.
This year was the first time that all Grade 12 learners in public schools wrote the same examinations, which are set on the new curriculum known as the National Curriculum Statement (NSC). With the NSC, there is no longer Higher and Standard Grades, only one grade of examination paper is set and all learners must choose either mathematics or mathematical literacy. All learners had to also take Life Orientation which was assessed internally.
Director-General Duncan Hindle said 5 93 000 learners, which is more than 28 225 more than 2007 sat for this year's exams with a number of them opted for toughest subjects and not scared of the NSC.
The marking is scheduled to be complete by 11 December 2008, individual results will be released to all schools on the 29 December and Education Minister Naledi Pandor will officially release them on 30 December.
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