5 Year Strategic Plan 2005/06 - Department of Education
5 Year Strategic Plan 2005/06 - Department of Education
5 Year Strategic Plan 2005/06 - Department of Education
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meal for our poorer children. These programmes are designed to contribute to job-creation<br />
and thus poverty alleviation in our communities. This is directly in line with the Provincial<br />
Growth and Development Programme.<br />
13.2.5 Institutional Management<br />
Our capacity building efforts at all levels <strong>of</strong> the system have seen greater stability in the<br />
management <strong>of</strong> our institutions.<br />
The delivery <strong>of</strong> Learner Support Material has improved each year. The educators are<br />
currently receiving meaningful Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Programmes that will enhance the<br />
introduction <strong>of</strong> the Revised National Curriculum. The stability at school level is strengthened<br />
by the tenacity with which our learners stay longer in the system.<br />
p a r t C : b a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n<br />
13.2.6 Challenges:<br />
13.2.6.1 Impediments to Service Delivery<br />
Despite the successes listed above, the ECDoE faces a number <strong>of</strong> vital challenges that<br />
impact on its ability to ensure quality service delivery within the context <strong>of</strong> the external<br />
environment.<br />
A fundamental challenge that faces the ECDoE is the shortage <strong>of</strong> educators and educator<br />
skills as a result <strong>of</strong> the attrition rates especially amongst the younger educators.<br />
Added to this has been insufficient budget allocation, which, inevitably, results in unending<br />
financial constraints.<br />
The age- old concern from both our employees and suppliers regarding our capacity to pay<br />
within expected turnaround time standards remains with the <strong>Department</strong>. This stem from<br />
insufficient capacity, which is currently being addressed from a number <strong>of</strong> fronts, like for<br />
example the backlogs’ project.<br />
Record keeping is a serious challenge that has been confronted headlong, with the<br />
introduction <strong>of</strong> a Registry Project.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the weaknesses lays in the management <strong>of</strong> procurement processes. This realization<br />
has pushed us to adopt a system <strong>of</strong> monthly and quarterly cycles <strong>of</strong> procurement monitoring,<br />
informed by a composite procurement plan <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Department</strong>.<br />
The quality that we produce in the gateway subjects <strong>of</strong> mathematics, science and technology<br />
still leaves much to be desired.<br />
A bigger challenge that the <strong>Department</strong> is facing has to do with the Presidential injunction<br />
around infrastructure. In his State <strong>of</strong> the Nation address, the President made a call for all to<br />
ensure that by the end <strong>of</strong> the 2004 financial year no learner will receive tuition under a tree,<br />
mud school, or any dangerous conditions that exposes learners and teachers to the elements.<br />
The <strong>Department</strong> is committed to the call. However, the <strong>Department</strong>’s current budgetary<br />
constraints will force us to seek additional funding to be able to meet the call.<br />
13.2.6.2 Challenges posed by the social and welfare needs <strong>of</strong> our communities<br />
One other critical area that we need to look into is the matter <strong>of</strong> sound relations with our social<br />
partners. We need to operate in an environment that is conducive to stability within the<br />
<strong>Department</strong> and mutual trust between our social partners and ourselves<br />
In order to meet the challenges <strong>of</strong> the welfare <strong>of</strong> our communities the ECDE embarked on the<br />
school nutrition programme that will be expanded to secondary schools and the provision <strong>of</strong><br />
scholar transport to learners from rural areas and informal settlement. The monitoring <strong>of</strong><br />
access to social grants and the provision <strong>of</strong> clothing needs to orphans and children from<br />
informal settlements will become a priority. The issue <strong>of</strong> burial cost for orphans and the<br />
5 <strong>Year</strong> ECDoE <strong>Strategic</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> for <strong>2005</strong>/<strong>06</strong> <strong>2005</strong>-<strong>06</strong> to to 2009/10. 2009-10. March 21 F (3).doc 20<strong>06</strong> Page 56 52