1. NEEDU PRESENTATION Portfolio Committee on Basic Education (National Assembly) 27 October 2015

2. The Purpose of NEEDU The purpose of NEEDU is to assist in the creation of a quality basic education system through the establishment of a countrywide credible, sustainable and holistic performance review system which focuses systemically on the state of teaching and learning in classrooms, and on the monitoring, administration and support functions at school, provincial and national levels.

3. The Rationale for Establishing NEEDU The main arguments for establishing the unit as an independent NEEDU are two-fold: – First, a NEEDU which is independent of all institutions responsible for the delivery of schooling has more space to be objective in its judgments. Thus, The complete separation of NEEDU from DBE will also allows independent and expert evaluation of the school system, without prejudice, fear or favour. Consequently, reports of such an independent NEEDU will be more credible, both to the general public and to management structures within the system. – Second, it is better placed to evaluate all four levels of schooling, from the national DBE, through the provinces and districts, down to individual schools. No unit that is part of the system is able to stand outside the system in this way, in order to assess how the different parts fit together in enabling or constraining quality teaching and learning.

4. NEEDU Systemic Evaluation Plan: In fulfilling its brief, NEEDU’s plan is to investigate all phases of schooling and all districts over a five-year cycle, as noted in the next slide. To date, NEEDU has evaluated Foundation, Intermediate, Senior and FET Phases and is currently evaluating special schools. In the first semester of 2015, NEEDU made follow- visits to a sample of 158 schools, 26 districts and all nine provinces that were evaluated in 2012 and 2013 to establish if these institutions have made an attempt to implement NEEDU recommendations. Data is being processed to compile a feedback to the system.

5. The NEEDU Systemic Evaluation Plan: YearSemesterLocationSchool PhaseProvincesDistrictsSchools 20122 nd UrbanFoundation Phase [FP]915134 20131 st Rural monograde Intermediate Phase [IP]91699 2 nd Rural multigrade Multi-grade [MG] [Foundation/Intermediat e Phase 918120 20141 st Urban/rural Further Education & Training [FET] [Grades 10- 12] 91293 2 nd Urban/ruralSenior Phase91390 20151 st Urban and rural Follow Up Visit to FP/IP Schools 926158 2 nd Urban and rural Special Needs Education [SNE] 929180 20161 st Urban and rural Special Needs Education [SNE]

6. NEEDU Reports: Since its inception, NEEDU has presented: – 694 school reports to Principals; – 100 district reports to District Directors; – 54 provincial reports to the provincial Heads of Department; and – two national reports to the Minister. NEEDU is currently finalizing its third report on the FET Phase (grades 10 to 12). As contemplated in Section 7(1) (g) of the Office of Standards and Compliance for Basic Education (OSCBE) Regulations, NEEDU prepares its annual reports and presents them to the Minister. The Minister publishes these reports at her discretion.

7. How NEEDU Recommendations are used in the System It is a requirement of the Minister that he/she must: – consider the reports and recommendations made by NEEDU and engage NEEDU in regard to the content of such reports and recommendations; – table each NEEDU report at the following meeting of the Council of Education Ministers for consideration and action; and – if considered necessary, apply the provisions of section 8 of the National Education Policy Act, 1996 (Act No. 27 of 1996) to a report of NEEDU. Paragraph 6 of Section 8 of the Act stipulates that: “If a report prepared in terms of subsection (5) indicates that the standards of education provision, delivery and performance in a province do not comply with the Constitution or with the policy determined in terms of section 3(3), the Minister shall inform the provincial political head of education concerned and require the submission within 90 days of a plan to remedy the situation.”

8. Use of NEEDU Recommendations The Department has taken NEEDU recommendations seriously. Following are few examples, how the Department, as informed by its own internal monitoring processes and NEEDU findings, has taken actions to address the recommendations made in the 2012 NEEDU Report on the State of Literacy and Numeracy and Learning in the Foundation Phase NEEDU RecommendationsActions taken by the Department Recommendation 4: National norms should be set for reading proficiency, led by the DBE. In the process of setting the national norms, DBE is piloting the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) tool in the provinces—a tool that was used by NEEDU to assess reading levels in schools. Recommendation 9: The DBE workbook programme should be continued. Teacher guides should be developed. Teacher guide has been developed and DBE has made significant improvements in the quality of the workbooks and in ensuring that they are delivered on time and in correct languages and quantities. Recommendation 11A: Regarding the use of the ANA tests to assist teachers, the provinces and districts should use the 2012 ANA scores to help schools undertake useful item analysis of assessment exercises. The Department has trained key curriculum specialists on how to analyse ANA results with a view to using the findings to inform planning and teaching in class.

9. Progress in establishing NEEDU as an independent Unit The draft NEEDU Bill served before the HEDCOM meeting of 29 and 30 August 2011 and CEM of 22 September 2011, and the two structures approved the draft Bill. The draft Bill was published in Government Notice 907 of 2012, Government Gazette No. 34858 for public comment on 23 December 2011. The closing date was 27 February 2012. A substantial number of comments was received from individuals and organisations and were incorporated into the Bill on merit. The Bill was consulted with FOSAD Social Cluster on 18 April 2012 and was supported by the meeting. The draft Bill was further consulted with NEDLAC (Education Task Team) on 23 March 2012 and 11 April 2012 and was supported.

10. Progress in establishing NEEDU as an independence Unit Bill no longer has any status following the decision by the DPSA to pursue a new legal pathway, i.e. establishing NEEDU not as a statutory body but as an independent government component, under the generic title of Office of Standards and Compliance for Basic Education (OSCBE). A government component is a separate, independent institution in the public service with discrete powers and functions, own budget and staff, and is listed in section 3 of the Public Service Act. Thus, OSCBE will be an independent body operating at arm’s length from the DBE but with direct reporting authority to the Minister of Basic Education. Plans are currently in progress to set NEEDU up as a government component, known as OSCBE.

11. Progress in establishing NEEDU as an independence Unit: DBE Role April 2014, the Minister wrote to the former Ministers of Public Service and Administration and Finance requesting their written consent on the corporate form and funding requirements for OSCBE April 2014, the Minister also approved that the relevant Government Notice containing Regulations for the establishment, governance and functions of the OSCBE be published once consent has been obtained from the Ministers of Finance and the Public Service and Administration After the general elections, in July 2014, the Minister again wrote to the new Ministers of Public Service and Administration and Finance requesting their support in the establishment of an independent NEEDU

12. Progress in establishing NEEDU as an independence Unit: DBE Role In May 2015, after the Chief State Law Advisor declared that the draft Regulations were consistent with section 11 of the National Education Policy Act, 1996 (Act No. 27 of 1996), the Minister approved the Regulations for the Establishment of OSCBE. Two steps within the control of the Minister of Basic Education remain to put the organisation onto a firmer footing. First, the Minister would consult with the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) on the Regulations for the Establishment of OSCBE, formulated in discussion with DPSA, DBE legal advisors and the State Law Advisor (SLA). Second, OSCBE would then be established by means of promulgation of the Regulations. Further steps are required to complete the process of declaring OSCBE a government component, but promulgation of the Regulations will be a significant step forward in the completion of the decision to establish an independent body for the evaluation of schooling.

13. Progress in establishing NEEDU as an independence Unit: DPSA + Treasury Role Other remaining steps outside the control of the Minister of Basic Education include: – Making recommendations (by the Interdepartmental Assessment Committee representing Departments of Finance, Public Service and Administration and Basic Education) on the organizational form for the OSCBE; – Preparing a submission (by DPSA) to inform the Minister for Public Service and Administration and the Minister of Finance of the Committee's recommendation and obtain the concurrence of the said Ministers for the establishment of the OSCBE as a government component; and – Preparing (following concurrence from said Ministers) a Presidential proclamation to list the OSCBE in schedule 3 of the Public Service Act so as to establish the OSCBE as a government component.

14. How independent will NEEDU/OSCBE be? OSCBE will be established as an independent and separate legalistic body to the Department of Basic Education – in terms of location, processes and governance. Two factors must be present in the structure of OSCBE: independence from the DBE and the requirements to report to the Minister of Basic Education on the activities and outcomes of its work. These two factors are not in contention with each other, as the need for independence is related more to location, internal processes and a perceived separateness from the DBE whereas the need to report to the Minister is quite clear in terms of hierarchical accountability.

15. How independent will NEEDU/OSCBE be? While OSCBE may have a Governing Advisory Council to oversee, guide and monitor its activities, the unit will be required to report annually to the Minister of Basic Education It must be clearly established at the outset that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the unit achieves its objectives is with the Minister of Basic Education. This arrangement provides for direct accountability to the Minister of Basic Education, while the day to day administration of OSCBE will vest in the head of the organisation. The Head of OSCBE will be the accounting officer in terms of the PFMA and has all the powers and duties of a Head of Department in terms of Public Service Act (PSA) and Public Service Regulations (PSR). NOTE: The Minister may establish an advisory Council to advise him/her on any matter pertaining to the functions of OSCBE or any other matter referred to the Council by the Minister. The Council must also advise the Minister on reports prepared by OSCBE. The Minister must, after calling for nominations through a Government Gazette, appoint members from such nominations in such a manner as to ensure that the functions of the OSCBE are performed according to the highest professional standards.

16. THANK YOU