Conclusion of the
successful GDE Lekgotla
The
Gauteng Department of Education hosted the 3 days Lekgotla from 01- 03 June
2017 with key focus on ‘Enhancing the
quality of education provision in Gauteng’.
The objectives of the Lekgotla were the following:
• Understand
the quality of outputs through analysis of Grades 3, 6, 9 and 12 learner
performance.
• Strengthen
the implementation of Whole School Improvement strategies and other plans
towardsthe realisation of the NDP goals through the GPG & GDE Pillars.
• Using
ICT as an enabler to improve pedagogical practice.
• Strengthening
monitoring, reporting and accountability at all levels.
• Increasing
success in Maths and Language education.
• Creating
awareness on Home Education and Special Education.
According to MEC Panyaza Lesufi “the department adopted its strategic
plan 2015-2020 and a number of sub-strategies to enhance the quality of
education provision in Gauteng. Since the adoption of these plans there is a
need to engage with stakeholders to share progress as part of mid-term review.
This is intended to provide the stakeholders a platform to influence the
direction, which the department should take in the remaining two years of the
current political administration. Hence hosting the Lekgotla is consistent with
the objectives outlined in the strategy to ensure accountability to the public
on service delivery.”
More than 1000 participants attended, that is
members of the legislature Portfolio Committee on Education; academics and
researchers, SGB associations; organised labour; principals and educators;
students’ organisations; as well as GDE officials. The Lekgotla was a
resounding success and provided an opportunity for common approach to
understanding challenges and solutions.
The following four key themes were discussed
during the Lekgotla, namely – Whole School Improvement; the use of ICT in
Education; Schools for Learners with Education Special Needs; Admissions and
application of Feeder Zones; mathematics as well as language in education.
The Lekgotla identified the following issues
as key impediment to Whole School:
·
Continuous
teacher development and education.
·
Incomplete
transformation of education manifest for example in inequality in the system.
·
Poaching
of best teachers from township schools.
·
Poor
culture of reading across the system
· Recruitment
of appropriately qualified teachers and School Management Teams members.
·
Inadequate
curriculum management at school level.
·
Weak
structures at school level for self-sustenance.
· Inadequate
use of data to inform intervention strategies and planning for learner
performance.
·
Violence
and bullying in schools.
·
Inconsistent
use of ICT for e-learning in the schools.
Going forward the Lekgotla or reached
consensus that progress achieved in the three years should be sustained and
areas of concern should be tackled by all stakeholders.
It is critical that the GDE work in
collaboration with the Higher Education Institutions to strengthen the
pre-service and in-service training of teachers in ICT. This will help produce
educators that are ready to use ICT and reduce the amount of money that the
department spends in retraining new qualified teachers on ICT.
The conference has further identified that
significant inequality in access to quality education by many learners.
There is a need to accelerate broad-based
improvement in quality of education to ensure that all learners access
education closer to where they live. In this vein, the revision of feeder zone
policy to address issues of access, equity, redress will be finalised in
consultation with all relevant stakeholders. The Constitutional Court has
granted the department further 18 months to finalise this matter.
The rising number of learners being
‘home-schooled’ came under the spotlight. It is evident that there is there is
non-compliance with registration and authentic assessment. Hence, there is a
need to engage with the national department to regulate home schooling.
Investment in teacher development, support for SGBs on the recruitment
of appropriately quality teachers and Principals, strengthening structures at
school level for self- sustenance e.g. functional Professional Learning Communities
(PLC’s), Quality Learning Teaching
Compaigns (QLTC’s), Representative Council of Learning (RCLs), Subject meetings
etc. to share good practices will be attended to.
Improving teaching of maths from Grade 1-9 was identified as vital
intervention to raise learner achievement at Grade 12.
Language issue and its impact on learner performance were also
highlighted as critical issue that need further exploration.
Way forward, GDE will document all critical issues identified and will
develop internal action plans to address identified issues. Consultation with
all stakeholders will continue in our quest to deliver quality education to all
our learners in all schools.
The Department will convene the Quality and Learning and Teaching
Campaign Steering Committee to agree on an action plan to take forward the
outcomes of the Lekgotla.
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