part a: strategic overview - Department of Education

This policy will have a major impact on teaching, learning and administration in schools
over the next 10 years.
8. BROAD POLICIES, PRIORITIES, STRATEGIC GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES
The goals, objectives and priorities of the strategic plan have been derived from a review
of the legislative and policy framework governing education both nationally and in the
Province, and from the development focus and transformational agenda of the
Department. The Department has conducted a detailed analysis of its circumstances
and challenges, both historically and currently, and has, as a result, isolated areas of
focus for the enhancement of its performance and the promotion of a more equitable
dispensation of educational services in the Province. Government adopted “Vision 2014”
as part of its election manifesto in April 2004. The PGDP and the Transformation
Agenda both cover the ten-year period until 2014. The PGDP takes its cue from
Government’s mandate, including the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) for
2004 to 2009, whilst the Transformation Agenda is aligned to the PDGP.
8.1 National and Provincial Government Policies and Priorities
8.1.1 Government's mandate, as reflected in the "2004 Manifesto - A People's Contract to
Create Work and Fight Poverty" is based on an appreciation of the progress that has
been made in the past 10 years in creating a constitutional democracy, expanding
access to services and opportunities, growing the economy, improving citizens' security
and locating SA within the vanguard of global efforts to build a caring and secure world.
Vision 2014 is articulated in the Manifesto: "Guided by the Reconstruction and
Development Programme, our vision is to build a society that is truly united, nonracial,
non-sexist and democratic. Central to this is a single and integrated economy that
benefits all."
8.1.2 The MTSF indicates that Government's strategic priorities, amongst other things, are to
address issues in education such as the recapitalization of Further Education & Training
(FET) institutions, aligning curricula of these and other technical training institutions
with economic needs, other issues relating to the skills training nexus, improving
school performance, ensuring dedicated resources for launching a massive programme
for Early Childhood Development (ECD) as a deliberate human resource investment
(as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme), expanding the Primary School
Nutrition Programme, and aligning the National Spatial Development Perspective
(NSDP), Provincial Growth & Development Strategies (PGDSs) and Integrated Local
Development Plans (IDPs) within the next three years to ensure that local plans
correspond to national and provincial economic imperatives. All of this should occur
within a new culture of partnerships with various sectors of society taking root in the way
government operates, informed by the concept of a People's Contract.
8.1.3 The PGDP aims to address the high levels of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy,
amongst other things, in the Province. This development framework sets, inter alia, the
following targets for the next 10 years:
� To maintain an economic growth rate of between 5% and 8% per annum;
� To reduce by between 60% and 80% the number of households living below the
poverty line by 2014;
� To establish food self-sufficiency in the Province by 2014;
� To ensure universal primary education (UPE) by 2014, with all children proceeding
to the first exit point in secondary education;
� To improve the literacy rate in the Province by 50% by 2014;
� To eliminate gender disparity in education and employment by 2014; and
� To halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV and Aids by 2014.
5 Year ECDoE Strategic Plan for 2005/06 2005-06 to to 2009/10 2009-10. March 21 F (6).doc 2006 Page Page 9
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