Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is already hard at work to ensure matric results for 2011 surpasses last year's 70.7 percent pass rate.
They are also keen to improve overall results in maths and physical science and are ready to roll up their sleeves to achieve this, writes Kemantha Govender.
Education MEC Senzo Mchunu spoke to BuaNews about his department's plans for 2011.
Before making any changes this year, Mchunu says his department wanted a very clear picture of the state of education in the province. The department also hosted an Education Summit to find solutions to the challenges faced in KwaZulu-Natal.
"Results have improved from 2009 ... Now how do we ensure 2011 becomes better? We started by analysing 2010 results - a thorough analysis of those results showed us a number of things. They showed us improvement aspects - which schools, districts and subjects improved," says Mchunu.
The analysis gave the department vital and detailed information, which is allowing them to develop strategies to address the problems.
"Let us make interventions early ... Last week, it has been reported they (task teams) visited all schools (who got) between 0-20 percent (non-performing schools) -- meaning before the end of February, we have touched base with these schools. We have done turnarounds, we are now getting to a new phase with them, monitoring them to see the results of the first quarter," says the MEC.
In 2010, the task teams visited 150 schools in the province to monitor their preparations for the matric exams. The department has since categorised schools into the following areas: 0-20 percent is non-performance, 21-54 under performance at lower level; 55-60 under performance at higher level.
Based on these categories, adjustments will be made at these schools. For example, if a school had a pass rate of 62 percent in 2009 and came down to 59 percent in 2010, that is still a lower performance at a higher level but there is deterioration. The department will zone in on these schools.
However, if a school's pass rate was 55 percent in 2010, but in 2008 was at 38 percent and in 2009 at 48 percent - the strategy will lean more towards supporting the school.
"You can't hammer that school. All you have to do is give them support but they still didn't go up enough and fall under the category of under performance - so that is how we have grouped schools," explains Mchunu.
The MEC says the intervention teams are now getting to the second category, where they will do more or less what they did in schools that fall in the 0-20 percent category.
In these cases, they will examine each school's history for the past few years. The department will investigate who made up the teaching staff and management teams, their qualifications and performances.
"They will then analyse all these qualifications and performances of the teachers over recent years - questions about why teachers who have been giving you bad results are still allowed to teach must be answered," says Mchunu.
Teachers who are not pulling their weight in subjects like maths and science could be moved around in an effort to improve pass rates in the problematic subjects.
The Education Department is not wasting time, according to the MEC, and decisions will be made immediately.
Even timetables will be changed and implemented as early as the following day if inspection teams deem it necessary.
"This is now on the new strategy - it's very hands-on and changes must be implemented on the spot," says Mchunu.
He adds: "If there is no teaching material, task teams will bring material. They will then say to teachers, 'change your methods'."
The department's next step is to focus on teacher training.
"We want to invest in teachers. Subjects like maths and physics overall are the pull-down factors. The teachers from all those schools that got below 50 in either maths or science will become our target."
These teachers will be put through an intensive programme which will run on weekends.
"Even if it takes three or four weekends, that's what we will do. We will give them intense training on matric work in these subjects, concentrating on the actual work book for the first quarter, focusing chapter by chapter, area by area," Mchunu says.
For now, the department will focus only on matric teachers, as they are expected to finish the syllabus by June/July. They are expected to start with revision in August.
Apart from maths and science, English, accounting and life science teachers will also receive training but on a less intensive level.
The MEC says for financial and logistical reasons, all other subject teachers will not receive the training. At a later stage, maths and science teachers at grade 10 and 11 levels will receive training but on a scaled down level.
"In the meantime, they must be teaching and I am going to be hard on them. We will be making unannounced visits just to make sure jobs are being done," he says.
Assessments for performances in grade 1-9 in 2010 are also being done and some changes are expected to be made, even if they are at circuit level.
"It's not about me sitting on the 4th floor (in my office) in Pietermaritzburg and dreaming. We have to go to the schools and find out what is happening. That is why I have the teams. We have to see for ourselves."
On the subject of teacher supply in the province, Mchunu says infrastructure issues do play a major role.
"On paper, we have (a ratio of) 1:30 but that doesn't translate into the classroom. We know the cause is infrastructure," says Mchunu.
In some cases, parents lie about their addresses and this results in over population in some schools. Some times there is a sheer increase in numbers in a particular school because principals over admit learners.
These issues, says the MEC, talk to infrastructure and more analysis is needed here.
The department would rather investigate reasons children choose to leave a certain school and assist the school to become more inviting as opposed to building extra classes in an over populated school.
In addition to these strategies, the Education Department will also follow up on resolutions that came out of the recently concluded KZN Education Summit. Mchunu stressed the importance of forging partnerships with relevant stakeholders to strengthen the quality of education.
"It is imperative to stress the strategic importance of the learner-teacher-parent alliance as a vehicle that will lead us to the people's education for the people's power," said the MEC.
