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Email this article to a friend...2003 The year of FET: Advocate André Gaum’s opening address
Advocate Andre Gaum, Minister of Education, Western Cape, South Africa

An FET (Further Education and Training) Colloquium was held with principals and curriculum officials to establish a foundation for FET developments in schools and districts. It took place on 14 & 15 February 2003 at the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch, Cape town, South Africa

 

Welcome

 

Richard Chamberlain, Chief Director of Regional Services (Rural)

Mr Henry Chamberlain, chief director of Regional Services (Rural), as chair, introduced Mr John Lyners, deputy director General: Operational Education Management.  

 

 

 

 

 

John Lyners, Deputy Director General: Operational Education Management with Anne Schlebusch, conference organizer

 

 

 

 

Mr Lyners welcomed everybody to the first meeting of principals of high and combined schools in the province.

 

 

 

Opening Address by Advocate Andre Gaum, Minister of Education, Western Cape

 

Advocate Gaum found the place of the gathering - a theatre complex, in a university – symbolic of the home of the imagination, a place where artists probe to find the heart of things and where they expose their insights to the critical eye of others. Those present should expect in the short to medium term rapidly unfolding scenes, unexpected twists in the plot, doubt about how the audience would receive an incomplete script and difficulties with publicity. They should use the two days to assert control over the educational management script, open to the shades of the great writers, directors and performers who have worked in the theatre complex and seek inspiration and energy from the opportunity to sit together to work through the main issues and list intelligent solutions.

 

Advocate Gaum stressed the commitment of the province to securing a later date for implementation of the new curriculum in the FET band than the originally announced 2004 and also assured those present that the later announcement of staff changes which had been made in 2002 would not happen again.

 

Taking stock of the province’s recent performance, he cited the 2002 Senior Certificate results:

  • 38 117 candidates achieved an overall 86.5% pass rate, placing the province second only to the Northern Cape.
  • In contrast to the trend nationally, the number of candidates had increased.
  • The WCED also notched the highest percentage of passes with endorsement – 26.5% About 25% of schools scored a 100% pass rate, 52.5% with a pass rate of over 90% and 70% over 80%.
  • The Learning Schools project, that provides support to schools struggling with the Senior Certificate, had excellent results - over 95% of schools had a pass rate of over 50%. 

There was no intention to allow any of these standards to slip. WCED officials were working in the national FET writing teams. In addition the WCED had strongly recommended, during the period of public comment, that attention be paid to planning weaknesses and made points related to assessment, budget and training.

 

He mentioned some short and long term provincial strategies, both micro and macro: 

  • The Literacy and Mathematics, Science and Technology strategic plans. In the next few weeks, details of programmes to run from now until 2008 would be given. Both encompass teacher training, resource provision and a programme of monitoring and testing. They were both short- and long-term because they laid the foundations for higher standards and greater levels of literacy and numeracy in the generation that would only reach the FET band much later.

 

·        Directorates, chief directorates and branches were working on a 20-year strategy The present conference would contribute to the plan “Curriculum 2020”, a redress plan that earmarks key elements like increasing enrolments in all sectors and targets improved success rates and hence an increase in opportunities for access.

 

  • A serious programme of development of school buildings and facilities. In the current financial year the WCED spent R38m on new schools and R22m on school improvements. The new FET would need much expert macro-planning in the matter of spending on buildings and equipment. Delegates’ input over the next two days and after that was critical.

 

  • In addition the Department was serious about developing the knowledge economy and meeting the need to develop e-Learning and e-Curriculum support. The Telecommunications Project was finishing the task of linking every school in the province to the Internet. The Khanya and Dassie projects were introducing new ways to use information technology to enhance teaching and learning in schools and FET colleges. WCED Online was growing rapidly as the main source of online services and information. The curriculum web site, a key component of WCED Online, was building a virtual community of all interested parties in curriculum development, including FET.
  • The FET curriculum proposals bring a number of cross-cutting features to the FET band: AIDS education, Human Rights and Values Education and Environment Education. He brought attention to the posters in the foyer, elements of which schools would need to incorporate into their teaching programmes and a book on HIV-AIDS, donated by ENGEN, in the conference bags.

 

The demands of the changes ahead meant that all would need one another for support from conceptual or planning level down to funding and resources. He expected urgent requests for funding, buildings, equipment, teachers and training and promised that the Department would maximise the accessing of resources to help make dreams come true.

 

Considering the financial constraints, he remarked that all roleplayers would need to work smarter, enlist the generosity of local sponsors and the expertise of leaders and players in school and community, through which we could make a better future.

 

Summary, Catherine Harrison – ch@inds.co.za

Queries, Anne Schlebusch - aschlebusch@pawc.wcape.gov.za