The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education is visiting KwaZulu-Natal this week to assess readiness of schools to roll-out the 2023 academic year.
The visits form part of Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to oversee the work of the executive and follow the money Parliament appropriates, to ascertain the impact on the lives of South Africans.
“The ability of the system to roll-out the academic year is dependent on adequate preparedness, the availability of Learning and Teaching Support Materials, adequacy and availability of learner Transport, effectiveness of governance structures such as school governing bodies at schools, adequate support by district and circuit offices. We will assess those multiplicity of issues to ascertain readiness,” said Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, the Chairperson of the committee.
The oversight visit programme follows the announcement of the 2022 National Senior Certificate results which saw KwaZulu-Natal achieve 83% matric pass rate.
The committee will also use the opportunity to assess the results, find areas where there is potential for improvement to ensure further progress by the system.
“But improvements at National Senior Certificate level are based on a functioning system at lower levels. Also, the inculcation of coding and robotics into the curriculum is necessary to produce a cohort that is needed by an evolving economy,” Mbinqo-Gigaba emphasised.
Education MEC Mbali Fraser said her department will this year provide greater support to schools that did not perform well in the 2022 academic year.
”We will also be providing the necessary support to the schools that performed below 40% and they will have to appear before the provincial accountability committee.”
”A special intervention plan for Umzinyathi District will be developed and implemented so that it can join sister districts in the 80% bracket,” KZN MEC for education Mbali Fraser told Inside Education.
The visits to the province would include an interaction with the Provincial Department of Education including district officials, associations of school governing bodies, and organised labour.
The committee will also conduct in-loco site visits to schools where members will hold meetings with school management teams and relevant stakeholders in order to learn first-hand the state of schooling and to discuss the challenges faced by schools with a view to support them in finding solutions.
The committee will visit three educational districts in the province namely: Zululand, Harry Gwala and King Cetshwayo.
Details of the visit (Day 1)
Date: Monday, 30 January 2023
Schools to be visited: Visits to School in Zululand Education District
- 08:30 – 10:00 Phumanyova Technical High School
- 10:30 – 12:00 Manzezulu ECD Centre
- 12:30 – 14:00 kwaMame Full Service School
- 14:30 – 16:00 Zamimpilo Special School
INSIDE EDUCATION
