5 Year Strategic Plan 2005/06 - Department of Education

SUB-PROGRAMME:
- Purpose
- Transformational Focus
POLICIES AND PRIORITIES
OVERVIEW OF CHALLENGES
AND CONSTRAINTS
PROGRAMME 2
SUB-PROGRAMME 2.1
Public Primary Schools
Purpose:
The overall objective of programme
2 is to provide public ordinary
school education for grades 1-12 in
accordance with the South African
Schools Act. Sub-programme 2.1
is directed at Public Primary
Schools. The objective of this
programme is to provide specific
public primary ordinary schools
with resources required for the
Grades 1 to 7.
Transformational Focus:
The primary strategic goals in the
Transformation Agenda are
associated with schools. Equity in
educational achievement for all
learners, equipping all school
learners with skills for further
employment and improved quality
of teaching and learning at all
levels are all critical initiatives that
are focused on schools. The
essence here is to ensure that
learners in the system are not
disadvantaged academically
because of their social or economic
status, or because of their gender,
disabilities or geographic location.
There has always been a concern
for high quality in educational
delivery. The concern now is that
all should benefit from this quality.
To a greater or lesser extent, the
activities of sub-programme 2.1 are
governed by all policies as set out
in Section 7 of this document. The
most pertinent among those
policies are: The South African
Schools Act, 1996 (Act No 84 of
1996), The National Education
Policy Act, 1996 (Act No 27 of
1996) and the Eastern Cape
Schools Education Act, 1999 (Act
No 1 of 1999). These policies are
set within a network of other
relevant policies, mandates and
regulations that are critical to
education and to the public sector
as a whole. Among the critical
priorities for public primary schools
are the following:
Implementing the norms and
standards for school funding to
provide adequate funding
Capacity building in the area of
school management, especially
financial control, management and
leadership skills
Rationalisation of small schools
into viable larger schools which
can be more adequately resourced
Refinement and development of
policy for establishment and
disestablishment of schools
Implementation of the Integrated
Quality Management System
Addressing the language policy
in schools to improve the pass rate
Refinement of policy for home
schooling
Refinement of policy on scholar
transport
Refinement of admissions
policies
Enhancement of policy on hostel
management
Provision of school infrastructure
and facilities
To ensure equity in educational
achievement for all learners
regardless of race, gender and
urban/rural location
Inadequate resourcing of schools
Lack of funding for Norms &
Standards
Inadequate educational
provisioning for small schools that
are economically viable
Lack of governance and
management capacity among SGB
members, especially in rural
schools
Many Section 21 Schools are
unable to manage their
responsibilities. Many have
requested reversion to their
Section 20 status. One aspect of
the problem is the lack of funds to
fully support all schools with
Section 21 status.
5 Year ECDoE Strategic Plan for 2005-06 2005/06 to 2009-10. 2009/10 March 21 F (1).doc 2006 Page 35 33