Rolivhuwa Sadiki

Limpopo’s Department of Education has prioritized the eradication of pit toilets during the coming financial year.

The department has allocated R32,291bn for phasing out pit latrines in 507 schools.

Education MEC Polly Boshielo said during her budget speech Tuesday, that the Department of Basic Education will oversee the process at 300 schools while 207 schools will be managed by the provincial education department. 

Limpopo has been marred by pit toilets controversy since the death of five year-old Michael Komape in January 2014. He was a pupil at Mahlodumela Primary in Chebeng village. He died after his school’s pit toilet collapsed and he fell in while relieving himself.  

The case is heading to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) after Polokwane High Court Judge, Gerrit Muller dismissed compensation claims from the Komape family who were suing for damages from the government.

In the civil claim, the family sought R940 000 in general damages for emotional trauma including shock experienced as a result of the learner’s death and R2m for grief.

Instead, R6000.00 was awarded to each of Komape’s siblings for medical expenses. 

However, the court put the department on notice to install proper toilets in all rural schools.

The Komape family is appealing sections of the 2018 High Court judgment which dismissed some of their claims and the appeal will be heard by the SCA on September 2.     

While it also managed to improve the 2017 bachelor passes by 2.1%, putting it as the fifth contributor of (bachelor) passes in the country, the department will continue to implement and intensify various interventions that will assist in improving learner performance in the 2019 Grade 12 National Senior Certificate. 

“We will continue to implement the second chance matric programme and intensify the support for learners who enroll for this programme,” said Boshielo.  

Major challenges in terms of delivering infrastructure projects because of staffing shortages continue to hinder progress.

Boshielo said vacant posts within the infrastructure unit will be prioritised this financial year.

“We hope this will enhance the effectiveness of the unit,” she said.

With the 4th Industrial Revolution beckoning, R75 million has been allocated to procure tablets, interactive boards and mobile science laboratories for schools, especially in the rural areas. 

These initiatives will assist in bringing learners on par with learners from other provinces in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills and the implementation of e-Learning. 

However, the department’s main challenge remains theft and vandalisation of school infrastructure including ICT equipment. 

“The department is appealing to communities to protect and jealously guard this infrastructure for the benefit of our children,” Boshielo said.  

Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha said issues such as industrialization, and the delivery of basic services such as water, sanitation and roads are also focus areas for the province. 

Mathabatha was speaking at the province‘s provincial legislature in Lebowakgomo during the province’s budget speech. 

With the challenge of water shortages occurring in most parts of the country, the premier said he has moved the issue of water delivery to his office. 

“I will be working closely with water boards and municipalities which are water service authorities including the department of water affairs to ensure that they deal with whatever is preventing water to go to our communities,” he said. 

Following an unqualified audit opinion within the office of the premier from the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA)’s consolidated general report on the local government audit outcomes; Mathabatha said a few management issues will require urgent attention and action. 

“An administration has been directed to ensure a sustained solution to all the issues which have been highlighted by the Auditor General,” said the premier.

Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga and the Ambassador of Japan, Norio Maruyama has cemented a partnership aimed at improving Mathematics learning outcomes in South African schools.

The DBE cooperates with Japan through Maths specialists provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and who are currently assisting provincial education departments in improving Mathematics learning outcomes.  

The DBE and JICA piloted the “In-School Monitoring Model” in 192 schools in the Eastern Cape and North West Provinces for monitoring the implementation of teaching word problems through lesson plan style activities using a guidebook.

The DBE-JICA Mathematics project will play a crucial role in improving quality passes in Mathematics, JICA said.

JICA also congratulated the DBE for having overseen a significant improvement in Mathematics during the 2018 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations.

The two parties are now working towards the development of a teacher’s manual that will consist of lesson plans and critical pointers to address learning gaps in Mathematics.

JICA is further assisting the DBE with the establishment of the National Mathematics, Science and Technology Institute.

Maruyama reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to support the DBE in enhancing Mathematics outcomes, and announced that the contracts of the JICA Mathematics specialists provided to the DBE has been extended to 2020.

“Japan wants to continue providing the much needed support in the field of Mathematics, and is also willing to expand the support to include science and vocational education and training, to support South Africa in gearing itself up for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Maruyama.

Inside Education has marked International Nelson Mandela Day, the annual international day in honour of South Africa’s first democratically elected president, by adopting Benoni Junior School (BJS) in Ekurhuleni.

The occasion was marked by serving 800 learners a hearty meal of soup and mini bread rolls, with K&K Media Chairperson Matuma Letsoalo, serving the first meal.

K&K Media owns the Inside Education and Inside Politics brands.

Inside Education also pledged sporting attire for the school’s netball and football teams which will be handed over in the next week.

BJS Principal, Pranisha Mansingh, said the school is thrilled and equally humbled by the gesture, adding that the intervention is “timely and needed.”

“Our school was established the same year Tata Mandela was born, and it is indeed an honour for us to salute this global icon, marked by this important partnership with Inside Education.”

Letsoalo said the decision to adopt the school was motivated by the words of Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel who said that people should approach International Mandela Day not as an event, but a process, a “pledge for the whole year that goes beyond one’s daily activities.”

“This is exactly what we at Inside Education have done by adopting BJS,” Letsoalo said.

Letsoalo added, “We have entered into a partnership with this 100 year old school, and together we will decide what are the differences we can make so that it can become a way of being, and and have maximum impact on the lives of our future leaders.”

And, though these ‘future leaders’ may just be starting out, Nelson Mandela is very much ingrained in their young minds, as borne out by these impressive ‘Madiba Shirt’ designs.

Letsoalo said the decision to adopt BJS was further inspired by Madiba’s love for children.

“Children was very close to Madiba’s heart, and through this small, humble contribution, we are striving to emulate Tata by bringing smiles on the faces of South Africa’s future leaders.”

BJS learners from Room 7 offered a passionate rendition of the national anthem in honour of Madiba.

International Nelson Mandela Day is an annual day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday.

The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says her department plans to enrol all South African children in a two-year compulsory Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme before starting Grade 1.

Presenting her departmental budget in Parliament Tuesday, Motshekga listed ten other focus areas for the DBE.

Among the department’s priorities — improving reading and maths for learners in early grades, the decolonisation of basic education, the implementation of a grade 9 exit certificate, and developing new ways of dealing with the delivery of school infrastructure.

DBE Minister Angie Motshekga’s Full Speech.

Motshekga said that ECD programme will improve the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy.

“To achieve that goal, we need to urgently proceed with the implementation of the two-years of ECD before Grade 1 and the systematic relocation of the responsibility for ECD from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education,” Motshekga said.

“The Department of Basic Education is working closely with the Department of Social Development and other partners to oversee the migration, and proceed with the process towards two years of compulsory ECD for all children before they enter Grade 1.”

Motshekga said that her department will develop a comprehensive plan for the different workstreams involved in the ECD function shift (Grade R, Grade RR, and Birth to 4), in collaboration with the relevant partners in government.

She added that a plan, including all the costs of the programme, will be finalised by March 2020.

Motshekga said her department had prioritised the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, and Limpopo to eradicate pit latrines over the next three years.

Earlier at a media briefing, DBE director-general Mathanzima Mweli, said the department has allocated R700 million for 2019/20; R800 million for 2020/21; and R1.3 billion for 2021/22 for completely clearing inappropriate sanitation in schools throughout the country.

The total 2019/2020 budget allocation for the DBE is R24.5 billion, an increase of 3.4% from the 2018/19 overall allocation.

Motshekga said the department will work at making sure that learners in early grades are able to learn to read, write and do mathematics.

“Although there are various factors affecting high school children that may trigger dropping out of school, the evidence shows that the root cause is inadequate learning foundations.”

Motshekga said this — among the other priorities — would be achieved by rolling out a primary school reading improvement programme that would help improve the quality of teaching home language literacy as well as English as a first additional language.

Motshekga said the department will launch reading clubs and hold reading competitions as a way to encourage learners to read.

And that by the end of the 2019-20 financial year the department would have adopted a national reading plan for primary schools.

Kiswahili As A Subject

Motshekga also announced that Kiswahili will officially be introduced as a subject in local schools.

She said a number schools, mainly around Gauteng, have been identified to pilot the language offering this year – with an aim of fully implementing it next year.

“I am delighted to announce that the Council of Education Ministers overwhelmingly agreed to incrementally introduce Kiswahili in our schools.

There is a high level of enthusiasm about this,” Motshekga said.

Getting Ready for the 4IR

As part of plans to future-proof the economy, president Cyril Ramaphosa has also pledged to introduce a number of technology-focused subjects to the curriculum.

In April, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) said it had trained 43,774 teachers in computer skills and would shortly begin training teachers for the new coding curricula.

Motshekga said that these teachers will be trained on coding from June to September 2019.

Coding as a subject will be piloted at 1,000 schools across five provinces starting in the 2020 school year.

Motshekga said the DBE will also introduce a robotics curriculum from Grades R to 9.

Department to build 40 schools this year

Motshekga added that her department will complete the construction of 40 schools and deliver sanitation to 775 schools and water to 225 schools by the end of 2019.

Some 606 schools will also be provided with sanitation through the Sanitation Appropriate For Education (SAFE) initiative, she said.

“School infrastructure provision remains a contentious matter that requires agility, innovation for effective delivery to accelerate the achievements that have already been registered.”

Motshekga said her department was discussing various financing options with the National Treasury and the Development Bank of SA, including partnerships with NGOs. 

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says there’s no magic wand to end violence in schools.

Presenting her department’s her annual performance plan in Parliament, Motshekga said although all parties are aware of violence in schools it’s important “not to militarise schools.”

There is been an upsurge in school violence in recent weeks, with both learners and teachers falling victim.

Motshekga, while acknowledging that the violence in some schools was out of control, shifted responsibility of security in schools to provincial departments.

“We don’t run schools, provinces run schools. So, if there are issues like security, those are done by provinces. And different schools in different provinces have got different needs and that’s why the strategy will be varied,” she said.

Committee Chairperson, Bongiwe Mbingo-Gigaba, said parliament will assist all role-players to ensure that schools are places of safety where education can take place without fear of death or injury.

“We agree that this requires a multi-sectoral approach and plan. Violence occurs in our communities and spills over into schools. This is a societal issues and must be addressed by us collectively to ensure a better and brighter future for all learners,” Mbingo-Gigaba said.

In terms of the budget, the committee heard that although it receives a budget of more than R24.5 billion, only around R6 billion remains with the National Department, with the bulk being transferred to the respective provincial departments of education.

Motshekga said her department would continue to work with police to make schools safer, adding that government will not turn places of learning into military zones.

“We don’t want to militarise schools but we also want to protect teachers. So, what is the balance? Because we can’t allow guns [in schools], they are gun-free places.”

The committee commended the department for its National Reading Plan for primary schools to be implemented by the end of this year.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction in order to ensure that our learners read with understanding and comprehension. We will monitor this target and plan closely,” Mbingo-Gigaba said.