5 Year Strategic Plan 2005/06 - Department of Education

Public administration must be broadly representative of the South African people,
with employment and personnel management practices based on ability, objectivity,
fairness, and the need to address the imbalances of the past to achieve broad
representation.
The White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery (Batho Pele) (General
Notice 18340 of 1 October 1997) promotes transformation in government. It is based
on eight transformation principles. The Department has recognized that transforming its
service delivery is key to guaranteeing the basic needs of citizens and, as such, aims to
be more effective by improving its service delivery programmes. These principles are: 1.
consulting users of services; 2. setting service standards; 3. increasing access; 4.
ensuring courtesy; 5. providing more and better information; 6. increasing openness and
transparency; 7. remedying mistakes and failures; and 8. getting the best possible value
for money.
The Department is bound by the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act,
1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999) to ensure that all revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities
are managed efficiently and effectively. The Act requires that good public finance
management principles are incorporated into the Department’s business plans, that
annual budgets are compiled and managed and that financial systems, risk management
and internal controls are in place and are transparent.
The Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act No. 2 of 2000) requires the
Department to provide access to information that it holds if requested by any person or
organization. The Act gives effect to section 32(1)(a) of the Constitution which states that
everyone has the right of access to any information held by the State, and section 32
(1)(b) which provides for the right of access to information held by any other person
when that information is required for the exercise or protection of rights.
The Department is also subject to the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000
(Act No. 3 of 2000) which provides that everyone has the right to administrative action
that is lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair, and that anyone whose rights have been
adversely affected by administrative action may require written reasons for the action.
The Act also provides for the judicial review of administrative acts by the courts.
7.6 Electronic Education and Communications
The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 (Act No. 25 of 2002)
provides for the facilitation and regulation of electronic communications and
transactions; the development of a national e-strategy; universal access to electronic
communications and transactions; human resource development in electronic
transactions; the prevention of abuse of information systems; and to encourage the use
of e-government services. This is an important law for the Department and for
educational institutions and requires access to and training in the use of computers.
The Draft White Paper on e-Education, August 2003 provides an overall policy goal to
the effect that “Every South African learner in the general and further education and
training bands will be ICT capable (that is, use Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) confidently and creatively) by 2013”. Policy imperatives in this regard
are set out under the following strategic objectives:
c p o a n r t e A n : t s t r a t e g i c o v e r v i e w
ICT professional development of teachers, managers and administrators;
Electronic content resources for teaching and learning;
ICT infrastructure;
Connectivity to an educational network and the Internet;
Community engagement to share the resources with the wider community;
Research and development into new technologies, methodologies and techniques.
5 Year 5 ECDoE Year ECDoE Strategic Strategic Plan for Plan 2005/06 for 2005-06 to 2009/10 to 2009-10. March 2006 21 F (6).doc Page 8