1 Key Outcome One: Quality Basic Education Presentation to Ad Hoc Committee 03 February 2010 Cape Town

2 Topics to be covered  Challenges in Basic Education  Main causes of the problems  Outline of outputs and targets identified  Key interventions and activities to realise outputs and targets

3 What are the causes of the problems?  High level of consensus that we face a crisis in basic education that require urgent remediation  Need accurate diagnosis of problems and causes of failure if we are to design effective solutions  Failing in primary objective: most schools do not have conditions required for effective attainment of learning outcomes

4 What are the causes of the problems? (continued) Key factors contributing to system failure: Socio- cultural environment within and outside schools; enabling policy context coupled with capable bureaucracy to support schools effectively; school management and governance; teacher capability and commitment; parental involvement; adequacy of fixed infrastructure; and adequacy of teaching and learning inputs

5 What is to be done? Past efforts have not been effective - need fundamental shift in how we intervene in the system Two key dimensions to approach: –Strategic interventions designed to promote effectiveness in the delivery of the basic education mandate – balance short- & long-term interventions –Leveraging accelerated delivery through focus on performance management, accountability and remediation through The Presidency

6 KEY OUTPUTS AND TARGETS FOR OUTCOME: “QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION”

7 > Focussing on outcomes

8

9 > Activities that will improve the quality of schooling  Teachers (continued)

10 > Activities that will improve the quality of schooling

11 KEY INTERVENTIONS AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE THE OUTPUTS AND TARGETS IDENTIFIED

12 Ensure credible outcomes-focussed planning and accountability system Necessary condition for effective turnaround Critical to establish comprehensive and contextually-relevant accountability system Standardised and credible learner performance assessments in Grades 3, 6 & 9. Ensure parents and other stakeholders use this for school improvement and accountability

13 A basic education sector plan Key innovation for 2010: Basic Education Sector Plan. Will contain clear outputs, targets and activities Will form basis for sector accountability as well as all levels of system down to school level Will serve to purposefully marshal stakeholder involvement in practical implementation

14 Ensure minimum threshold of school functionality Single most important factor if one excludes socio-economic factors from equation Establish – in collaboration with provincial education departments – national education management development academy Establish adequate capability in districts to effectively support schools – marshal private sector and NGO support

15 Ensure all teacher have required capability, commitment and practice Too many teachers cannot pass tests that their own learners are expected to pass Serious problems related to commitment and practice This despite significant investment in teacher development Strategy 2 dimensions: –Labour peace and stability –Dedicated teacher development Institute

16 Ensure effective implementation of the curriculum 2009 review led to important revisions: Streamline learning areas, teacher administrative burden, development and supply of textbooks and other learning and teaching support materials Focus on numeracy and literacy in early grades plus maths, science and languages in senior grades

17 Ensure effective implementation of the curriculum (continued) Supply workbooks and other resources that compensate for challenges in teacher capability and school/system functionality Improved capability at district level to support curriculum implementation e-Learning strategy

18 Ensure bureaucracies have capability to support school improvement and accountability Serious weaknesses in this area, especially in provincial and district structures that serve areas catering for high concentrations of poor learners All education departments need to reconfigure themselves to be more capable of direct support, ensuring accountability and undertaking required interventions This is a key priority for the basic education sector going forward

19 Improve learner retention Important issue that has attracted much interest Gross enrolment is about 88% but only 50% of youths reach Grade 12 and about a third of youths obtain a NSC We compare favourably to other countries (Brazil, Botswana, Thailand) but clearly situation not ideal Two-fold strategy: –Quality and pass rate throughout schooling system –More post-school alternative pathways

20 Achieve universal and quality Grade R and ECD  Aim of universal Grade R in 2014 stands.  Serious concerns around the quality of Gr R in many schools – poorly paid and under-qualified teachers in some schools, excessive number of learners per class in others. One intervention currently under way is increase in number of teachers with at least level 4 (Gr 12) training. Further quality improvement strategies will have to be developed  Increase coverage of children in subsidised ECD sites and improve practitioner training

21 Ensure adequate resourcing of schools Had huge investment, but too many learners continue to experience conditions that are unacceptable. Two main reasons for this: –Below adequate funding and resource inputs –Poor capacity to convert financial resources to required inputs, effective utilisation and maintenance thereof Research shows No Fee policy working well Will develop a comprehensive infrastructure development action plan during 2010 to deal with pressing shortcomings

22 Conclusion Contents of presentation has drawn from discussion in HD Cluster, Council of Education Ministers and with stakeholders Further development will happen following January 2010 Cabinet Lekgotla and CEM