KwaZulu-Natal education minister Senzo Mchunu has outlined a multi-point plan targeting hundreds of schools that have performed badly on their matric results over the years.
The plan was unveiled during a press briefing on Wednesday and involves beefing up resources at the schools, improving teacher training and intensifying the monitoring of performance by both pupils and teachers.
Apart from this, the minister, Superintendent General Cassius Lubisi and other senior officials will conduct surprise visits to the schools as part of the monitoring process.
”I will embark on my first visit on the 23rd of this month, to a school that I will not disclose right now. This will be part of getting first-hand experience of how business is conducted. Naming the school now may see the principal making cosmetic changes to the state of being at the given school,” said Mchunu.
He said the department was hoping for renewal of commitment from both teachers and pupils, highlighting the importance of early classes, especially for matric pupils.
The programme will also see the involvement of community members, who are expected to condemn absenteeism, especially by pupils.
”We also want to get reports of learners who are seen loitering around during school time so that such problems are swiftly dealt with,” Mchunu added.
All teacher unions — Sadtu, Natu, Naptosa and SAOU — endorsed the programme, expressing their commitment to ensuring an improvement in this year’s matric results.
Sadtu chairperson Chris Ndlela said that as part of the commitment the teacher union would encourage its members to conduct winter and spring classes at identified schools in need.
”We challenge other role-players to heed the call of improving the standard of matric results for the province this year, because the education of children is a societal challenge which demands a collective effort.”
His Natu counterpart, Alan Thompson, welcomed the programme, saying: ”This will work if the department consults with teacher unions throughout the process, not when they are excluded from the process.”
While not spelling out the time in which the final agreement with unions was hammered out, Mchunu acknowledged that a series of consultations with individual unions was undertaken before a final agreement on Youth Day.
Conservative estimates have indicated that R20-million would be pumped into the programme, while Lubisi acknowledged that the budget on the item may increase. — Sapa