School's Report 2012 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination

(i)
Poor Literacy and Numeracy Skills
ANA results in 1-9 Grades, for both Numeracy and Languages have been consistently poor. This
motivated the development of an improvement plan for these subjects. The Province developed the
Literacy and Numeracy Strategy which gives a framework to guide the KZN Provincial Department to
improve learner performance in Literacy and Numeracy. The purpose of the strategy was to support
improved learning and teaching in the classroom to improve learner performance.
(ii)
Standard Reading Programme
One of the key features of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy is reading. A KZN circular no 62 0f
2011 communicating a compulsory 30 minute reading period daily was sent to schools. To support
schools in effective utilisation of the reading, a manual on “How to develop and implement
a reading programme” has been developed. This is a practical handbook for teachers highlighting
several approaches to reading promotion. This manual was supplied to schools.
Each circuit manager is required to ensure that schools under their jurisdiction observe the reading
period. In going forward the department will introduce a standardised reading assessment across
the province in order to ensure that the acquisition of reading skills can be entrenched across the
system.
3.2.3 LTSM
The Literacy and Numeracy Strategy was also supported by the use of Learning and Teaching
Support Material (LTSM). This was to promote a text rich environment. In this regard, the Department
provided learners with Literacy and Numeracy Workbooks to support these areas of study.
The Department of Education provides LTSM to schools in two forms. There is LTSM that is provided
through the allocations from norms and standards for school funding. The second form of LTSM is
provided through the allocation of funding for the supply of library materials and resources through
the Education Libraries and Information Technology Services (ELITS) Directorate.
The supply and distribution of LTSM from the norms and standards is managed through a managing
agent. The managing agent has been contracted for the period 2010/11 to 2012/13. In this regard,
the Department of Education purchases LTSM on behalf of schools without 21c function in terms
of the South Africa Schools Act. There are 3 185 schools in this category. The section 21c schools
purchase LTSM on their own subject to them meeting conditions set by the Department. There are
2775 schools in this category.
3.3 Matric Intervention Programme
After the release of NSC results in January 2012, the Province of KwaZulu-Natal analysed the
performance of learners for each subject in each District as well as the general performance
of schools in each of the 12 Districts. Consequently, the Department of Education developed a
programme comprising of different intervention activities for the improvement of Matric results in
2012 and beyond.
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