Educational priorities & strategies 2008 Learning Area Forums 19 March 2008

Policy Directives President’s Priorities Letter from the President Mid-Term Policy Statement Ministerial Priorities Curriculum & Assessment Development Strategic Plan

President’s letter The need to act audaciously in carrying out our service delivery responsibilities; To consider focusing on impact projects before the end of 2009 How best can we be part of the audacious culture called for by the President? How best can we ensure that the principle of integration is realised (vertically & horizontally) within the department, inter-departmentally and inter-provincially?

APEX OF PRIORITIES SOCIAL CLUSTER Apex Project 6: Resource poor schools and monitor learning outcomes Description/Project requirement  Provide all schools in poorest quintiles with basic resource package of appropriate books and materials for learners and teachers; support staff, assistance with the management and governance of resources  Monitor improved learning outcomes

SERVICE DELIVERY Services must conform to the following criteria: Quantity : Are the services provided in sufficient volume & diversity to sustain basic needs? Quality : Are the services and products of such quality that they will last for an appropriate period so that they do not have to be re-supplied at additional cost? Access : Are services & products being delivered at the ideal locality for customers to use them without incurring undue cost to gain access to point of delivery? Equity : Are the services and products provided without discrimination? Time/Timeliness : Are the services and products rendered on time so that customers can derive maximum benefit from them? Value for money : Is the cost of the service or product balanced against the value derived by the recipient, irrespective of whether customers pay directly for services?

MINISTER’S FIVE YEAR PRIORITIES Dealing with poverty Skills Development Human Resources Development Quality Improvement Health Education Institutional Development

GET Curriculum & Assessment Dev Apex priority: Resourcing poor schools Presidential priority : Minister’s priorities: Quality improvement Skills development Dealing with poverty Institution development Marginalised learners Rural education

GET Schools Strategic objective : Ensuring effective implementation of the Curriculum towards improved learning outcomes Strengthening & supporting implementation of NCS – specificity of requirements (descriptors for each Learning Area – Partial Achievement & Satisfactory Achievement)  Strengthening & supporting assessment, incl progression requirements & General Education Certificate  Improving the quality of district support in curriculum & assessment  LTSM catalogue and guidance  Advocacy of curriculum & assessment requirements

General Education & Training Learning Area Forums

Rational & Purpose To ensure ongoing curriculum development, innovation, monitoring, evaluation and support across the system Curriculum transformation in South Africa has prompted the need for the establishment of Learning Area Fora(LAF), which will: – be instrumental in driving the implementation of the curriculum –highlight the state of the learning areas nationally –guide implementation –suggest to DoE ways to deal with the challenges in a Learning Area

Function of a Learning Area Forum To ensure consistency & a common approach to the curriculum across the country To facilitate the strengthening of the National Curriculum Statement in respect to Learning Areas To provide for engagement between national and provincial officials and other stakeholders To provide a forum for sharing best practices and innovations To provide an opportunity for DoE to present GET curriculum plans and priorities at a learning area level

Composition of Learning Area Fora Forums: –One Forum for each of the eight Learning Areas –One for the Foundation Phase, incl DoE Early Childhood Development representatives Chair: DoE Learning Area facilitator Members: –One PED Learning Area Coordinator per forum –DoE Inclusive Education rep per forum –Recognised Teachers’ unions –Subject/Learning Area associations & other relevant stakeholders approved by DG:DoE

Management of LAF Learning Area Fora (LAF) are substructures of CMC (Curriculum Management Committee) All LAF will be chaired by a DoE representative who will be responsible for –chairing –administrative matters such as ensuring someone takes minutes –sending out minutes once approved –any other follow-ups Where there is not a DoE LA Deputy Director, a PED LA official may be requested to manage a forum on behalf of DoE The LAF will be managed by the DoE through the Chief Directorate: Curriculum & Assessment Development

Additional committees HEDCOM – Indicated need to limit number of committees & meetings: –Cost –Need to be in PED, supportive of districts and schools LTSM – separate HEDCOM subcommittee –Recommendations to LTSM committee can be made –Fora members may be asked to assist in developing criteria for selection of LTSM and screening Any ad hoc committees needed will have to meet electronically

Provincial/district/cluster/ committees or fora Each provincial representative must set up a provincial Learning Area Committee or Forum consisting of district/regional officials in the LA, union representative and other stakeholders & report on the provincial meeting Every district official on the provincial forum/committee must chair a district Learning Area Committee or Forum Districts should encourage cluster forums Upward and downward reporting: –It is the obligation of each chairperson to report downwards on meetings s/he attends and report upwards to the meeting on the meeting s/he chairs

HEDCOM CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE DoE L A Fora Languages Mathematics Natural Sciences Social Sciences Economic and Management Sciences Arts and Culture Technology Life Orientation Foundation Phase Provincial LAF District LAF

Key Agenda points in 2008 Learning Area Fora –Foundations for Learning campaign –Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) – plans for national GET catalogue & monitoring of provisioning in schools: LAFs may recommend criteria for selection of material –GEC, continuous assessment, CTAs, moderation –Development of assessment items Foundation Phase Forum –Foundations of learning campaign –Literacy & numeracy –Training –FP conference

Decision-making process No decisions are taken at a learning Area Forum All recommendations must be clearly documented and the chairperson must inform the Director: GET Schools who will send a submission via the DoE structures and submit to CMC if necessary The Director: GET Schools must report to DoE:DG & HEDCOM and to CMC after each Forum meeting

Meeting arrangements Frequency of meetings Each LAF will meet annually in March for two days – therefore good preparation and optimal use of time is vital Communication In addition to annual meeting, communication will be via and Thutong

Key function of LAF To ensure a well-understood and well- implemented dynamic curriculum that provides quality education for all and protects the right of every child to learn to read, write, count and calculate

THANK YOU