part a: strategic overview - Department of Education

13.2 Environmental Factors and Emerging Challenges
13.2.1 Infrastructure
In 1996, the Schools’ Register of Needs recorded a backlog of 22 000 classrooms in our
system. Between 1996 and 2004 all districts saw an increase in number of classrooms and a
corresponding decrease in learner classroom ratio, particularly in the more rural districts of
Lusikisiki, Umzimkhulu, Bizana and Mount Frere. To date we have provided 11000
classrooms across the Province but in the interim the backlog has swelled to 14,000
classrooms. Indeed the adequate provision of classrooms will still remain a challenge in the
Department for the next ten years.
13.2.2 Learner Assessment
The matriculation provincial pass rate has not yet stabilized.
The pass rate increased from 51.9% in 2002, with an 8.1% rise to 60.0% in 2003. However
this was followed by the disappointing drop of 6.5% to 53.5% in 2004. The Eastern Cape was
the only province where the matric pass rate increased in 2005, by 3.2% to 56.7%
The smooth conduct and management of examinations has given credibility to the results
over the last four to five years. In that period there has not been a single report of examination
leakages or any impropriety in our Grade 12 examinations.
In ABET level 4 learners surpassed all the provinces, will be strengthened each year. The
annual increase in ABET learner numbers from 285 in 2001 to 522 in 2002, 669 in 2003 and
911 in 2004 indicates the seriousness that the learners now attach to ABET in our province.
13.2.3 FET College Sector
The successful merger of the Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges from 25 to eight
institutions, streamlined to meet the skills needs of the province, was a major achievement.
The importance of this sector lies in its ability to address the human resource demands of our
economy and a redefinition of the labour profile of the province.
The filling of the 8 CEO posts was successfully completed soon after the merger process.
However, the filling of senior posts will only take place in the 2005/6 financial year. Budgetary
constraints have affected the post-provisioning at colleges, which has in turn affected the
curriculum offerings.
The learnerships programme, driven from this sector is intended to address the skills
development as well as create employment opportunities for our youth. There are 84
unemployed youths participating in the following learnerships:
� Food and beverage Processing - NQF level 3
� Wholesale and retail specialization - levels 3 and 4
� Wholesale and retail general - levels 2 and 4
� Animal husbandry - level 1
The Department’s partnership with the German Agency for Technical Operation (GTZ) has
facilitated the secondment of a provincial learnerships coordinator for this sector.
13.2.4 Opening Access to Learning Opportunities
A meaningful foundation is being offered to our children with the introduction of Grade R in
some 1 300 schools impacting on 33 000 learners who previously did not have access to
such an offering. Simultaneously our ABET programme has seen skills and jobs offered to our
rural people. Lately we have taken over the school nutrition programme that ensures a daily
5 Year ECDoE Strategic Plan for 2005/06 2005-06 to 2009/10 2009-10. March 21 F (3).doc 2006 Page 55
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