The Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) have undoubtedly improved academic outcomes during the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations; however, a paradigm shift is required to promote efficiency and quality at the General Education and Training (GET) level.
Director-General for the Department of Basic Education, Mr Mathanzima Mweli, has been continuing provincial oversight visits as part of his learner support programme to various education districts with recent visits to the North West and Mpumalanga Provinces.
During the engagement sessions, DG Mweli said that the Sector should become more data driven to adopt a subject-to-subject diagnostic approach in supporting schools from the GET and the Further Education and Training (FET) bands. DG Mweli is set to visit all 75 education districts as part of his engagements.
During their reflection, education districts acknowledged the DBE support in its quest towards improving learning outcomes in both GET and FET, confirming that the engagement sessions assisted them to share best practices whilst addressing shortcomings in identified learning areas. These include home language teaching; learner participation in Computer Applications Technology (CAT) subjects; and accelerating the implementation of Vocational and Occupational Education. The engagement session covered an array of issues ranging from adherence to policy on subject combinations; Accommodations and Concessions; the Institutionalisation of Early Childhood Development in the Basic Education Sector; and teacher provisioning in the GET and FET.
DG Mweli indicated that subject combinations in the FET band should be done properly to channel learners towards the right career pathways beyond Grade 12: “PEDs and education districts are on track in terms of delivering quality education as our learners deserve education of the highest quality. We therefore need to provide support for our schools to function optimally. I encourage education districts to address any form of learning barriers encountered within the schooling system to ensure that no learner is left behind. One of the best approaches to be considered in addressing learning barriers is through the implementation of the Accommodations and Concessions Policy, which is intended to assist learners within the entire sector across all grades, especially those learners who are experiencing learning challenges. I am calling on education districts to intensify their efforts towards ensuring that learners who qualify for Accommodations and Concessions are fully supported”.
DG Mweli further interacted with the Class of 2025 in the schools which he visited, sharing words of motivation and tips for academic success. The programme is expected to proceed to the remaining education districts during the coming weeks.