The national department of education is to intervene in the Eastern Cape’s schooling system, which has been in a crisis state for years.
Constitutionally the national government cannot step into provincial territory, but an intergovernmental protocol between the national and the Eastern Cape departments of education has paved the way for the national department to send a rescue team to try to turn around the beleaguered province.
At 50.6% the matric results in the Eastern Cape were the lowest of all nine provinces last year. The department, which has been described as “too politicised” and “without direction”, has been plagued by persistent managerial and governance problems.
The department has had several leadership changes at the level of provincial minister and heads of department since 1994. There is also a high vacancy rate and a skills shortage, as well as alleged fraud and corruption.
The rescue plan, which has not been costed yet, will focus primarily on five critical areas, including financial and human resource management, support to schools that under-performed in the 2008 matric examinations and the filling of teaching posts.
The director general in the national department, Duncan Hindle, said: “We will ensure we do not leave (the province) until there are sustainable systems in place to turn the situation around.”
He said the plan, which is expected to kick in soon, will normalise education in the Eastern Cape.
This is the second attempt by the national government to fix the province. In 2004 the department of public service and administration under its then minister, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, sent a mission that was directed at the entire province, including the education department.
At the time the national department’s Chris Madiba was part of the team deployed to overhaul the Eastern Cape education department’s systems.
Madiba said their brief at the time was to focus on the same key areas. He said when they left the province in 2005 he was confident that they had put in place necessary “systems and organisational structures” and also filled top leadership positions.
“But because of the nature of the province and judging by the recent initiative it appears things did not work out as they should have,” he said.
Mxolisi Dimaza, provincial leader of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, said it has been calling for national intervention. “We have been singing this song for
as long as I can remember. It has our full support,” said Dimaza.
Derek Luyt of the Public Service Accountability Monitor based at Rhodes University said the plan will succeed only if the national department of education follows through and also exercises its constitutional oversight role.
“I would recommend that they get all the officials in the department to sign performance contracts. This would enhance accountability and delivery,” said Luyt.