WCEDnews || 02 by Western Cape Education Department

Leaﬂet inside

AN 2010 EDUCATION PL

news

NEWSPAPER OF THE WCED

Inside this issue

NEWS

Learners wrote “love letters” to their teachers to celebrate World Teachers’ Day. See page 5

F E AT U R E

The WCED joined forces with the private sector to expand access to school libraries. See page 7

A R T S A N D C U LT U R E

The Beau Soleil Music Centre helped schools to improve their own music programme. See page 13

SPORT

Zaahir Gamiet won nine gold medals at the African Junior Championships in Mauritius and set several new championship records. See page 16

Regulars:

NEWS

FEATURES

NOVEMBER 2009 | ISSUE 02

Vinjevold leads the way

Top School

Penny Vinjevold assumed duty as Head of Education in the Western Cape on 1 November 2009.

Westerford High School was rated the top school in South Africa in the Sunday Times Top 100 schools survey.

he took up office as changes to the way the curriculum will be implemented, were announced by national Minister Angie Motshekga. Vinjevold gave the assurance that teachers will know exactly what the changes will mean for them in 2010 and 2011. She said teachers can look forward to less administrative work and a specific programme of what is to be taught. Vinjevold has an extensive track record in education. She taught for 16 years in schools in Johannesburg, Mafeking and Soweto before joining the Joint Education Trust (JET) as General Manager of Evaluations and Research. She co-edited the book Getting Learning Right in 1999 and managed the research component of the President’s Education initiative. The book has since become a key text on South African education. Vinjevold was a member of a ministerial panel tasked to review the design and implementation of the national curriculum and a ministerial committee to oversee the development of the revised national curriculum for Grades R to 9. She joined the WCED as Chief Director: Planning in 2002 before her appointment as Deputy Director-General: Further Education and Training at the DoE in 2005. Her qualifications include a BA (1974), a Higher Diploma in Education (1975), a BEd (1991, with distinction), and a MEd (1992, with distinction), all from the University of the Witwatersrand. WCED News asked her 8 questions to get an idea of where she is coming from and her immediate priorities.

Q What lessons did you learn from your early teaching years? Careful preparation for the year is important. Time spent teaching is important for all learners, but especially for poor learners. Teaching must be systematic and

INSIGHT AND OPINION

rincipal Rob le Roux said being top was an amazing honour and a humbling experience. “There are many other schools that could be number one. We will rise to the challenge and keep improving.” Le Roux said it is awesome that the other Western Cape schools ranked in the top 10, Rustenburg Girls, SACS and Rondebosch Boys, are all from the same area. A total of 24 schools in the province made it onto the top 100 list. “We congratulate all of the schools for achieving this accolade, as well as their teachers, principals, learners and parents,” said Western Cape Education MEC Donald Grant. Schools in the top 100 were selected on the basis of five criteria: a combination of the matric pass rate; the percentage of learners with a university entry pass; the average number of A-symbols; and the number of Maths and Science candidates achieving over 50% as a percentage of all candidates at the school. Grant said he wanted to broaden the base of schools of excellence. “We need to replicate these models of best-practice in all our schools.” He added that there are other Western Cape schools not listed in the Top 100 that have excelled in other subject areas. “These include schools in disadvantaged communities who have managed to excel. We will continue to support these schools, and others, to improve on their results and to develop their skills and expertise.”

Penny Vinjevold

clear. Teachers must be present on time every day and have high expectations of learners. Textbooks that learners can take home provide learners with a powerful tool for understanding the subject.

Q What insights can you share from when you taught at the Soweto College of Education? The teacher education programmes provided were a balance between strong content knowledge and teaching practices. Both needed very intensive time.

Q What value do you place on research? Research is vital for policy-making. Policies should be based on careful research and evidence – not anecdotes.

Q Your previous time at the WCED – what were your key projects? I was involved in the preparation for the introduction of the National Curriculum Statement; the literacy and numeracy strategies, especially 100 reading books in each classroom; iKapa Elihlumayo career guidance and the FET college bursary scheme.

certificate. The second was to ensure that all the policies and regulations were in place for the National Senior Certificate. The third was preparation of excellent textbooks to support the curriculum. The final and biggest challenge was providing high quality training on the content of the National Curriculum Statement.

Q What are your views of the National Curriculum and how it is being implemented? The National Curriculum is widely welcomed and endorsed by the teacher unions and the Independent Schools’ Association. However, there are always areas for improvement. In terms of implementation, the provision of textbooks and targeted teacher training were major problems. Principals and district officials also need training on the NCS.

Q What are your immediate priorities as Head of Education in the Western Cape? The first is to work with the MEC, Senior Management and partners in education to develop a five-year Strategic Plan and a clear indication of priorities for this period.

What are your immediate challenges?

The first was to develop a communication plan to explain the changes in the curriculum and the matric

To understand the WCED, its strengths and challenges. I would like to ensure that the organisation uses all its resources to support schools and teachers.

What were your key challenges as the national driver of our FET programmes?

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

REVIEWS

ARTS AND CULTURE

Duncan Buwalda with learners from Westerford.

NOTICE BOARD

SPORT

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

news

News in brief STELLENBOSCH LEARNERS RUB SHOULDERS WITH LEWIS HAMILTON Members of Team Zeallous from Stellenbosch High School had an opportunity to rub shoulders with the 2008 F1 champion Lewis Hamilton when they represented South Africa at the F1 in Schools World Championships in England Twenty countries, 31 teams and 145 learners participated in the 5th World Championships. Team Zeallous consists of three members – Marisa Niemandt, the team manager and graphic designer, Kyla Smit, the resource manager and Leonardo Maré, the design and manufacturing engineer. Hugo Minnaar was the assistant manager. Participating teams had to design and build a small racing car. The cars raced along a 20 meter track at a scale speed of over 220 mph. The competition focused on investigative skills, Computer Assisted Design, finishing touches and presentation. Team Zeallous kept the South African flag flying high by winning the racing section of the competition. A team from Northern-Ireland was the overall winners. Hamilton and other big names in the racing industry officiated at the prizegiving ceremony.

BREEDERIVERVALLEY SHINES IN NATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER COMPETITION The Breederivervalley delivered two of South Africa’s best school newspapers in the country’s biggest competition for school newspaper journalism, hosted by Media24. Robertson High’s Metronoom was crowned the best new newspaper, while Bonnievale High’s Voorwaarts was the runner-up in the category for high school newspapers with an operating budget of less than R10 000. Grabouw High’s Die Appelpers was the runner-up in the category new newspapers while Dasblits of Langenhoven High in Riversdal took third place in the category for high school newspapers with a budget of less than R10 000. Sarietha Engelbrecht, national coordinator of the competition, said the judges were particularly impressed with the quality of most of the entries, especially those from the Western Cape. Other achievements include Paarl Gimnasium’s Die Sollie that was named the country’s best school magazine with Curro Private School in Durbanville’s Bulletin/Propaganda in second place. Stellenbosch Primary’s Boschpraatjies is officially the country’s second best primary school publication with a budget of less than R10 000. Beaumont Primary in Somerset West took the third place in the same category. In the category for primary schools with a budget of more than R10 000 Eseltjie of Volschenk Primary in Riversdal came second.

OLYMPIAD TIE For the first time in the 26 year history of the South African Computer Olympiad, two participants tied for the first place. Gwylim Ashley of Oakhill School in Knysna and Kosie Van Der Merwe of Brackenfell High had identical scores. They received R30 000 each and their schools received R4 000. Gwylim and Kosie will have to share the Standard Bank Trophy, which is a floating trophy. The Standard Bank/CSSA Computer Olympiad is an annual competition to identify, encourage and reward programming skills among high school learners. Peter Waker, Manager of the Olympiad, said the results were surprising. “Never in the 26 year history of the Olympiad have we had results that were this close. Not only did the top two participants both score 88% out of 600, but number three was only one point below them – and this in a competition where the average score is 56%.” Two of this year’s bronze medal winners were from the Western Cape. Francois Conradie is a grade 12 learner and Head Boy at De Kuilen High School in Kuils River. Sean Wentzel is a grade 10 learner at Westerford High in Rondebosch. Earlier this year Francois Conradie impressed the judges at the International Olympiad in Informatics with his computer programming skills and was awarded a bronze medal.

WESTERN CAPE LEARNERS TAKE TOP HONOURS IN YOUNG HISTORIAN COMPETITION A project about the oldest existing football club in Cape Town earned a Muizenberg High School learner the first place in the Kgosi Albert Luthuli Young Historian Awards. Fairouz West said she decided to document the history of the 105-year old Spenston Football Association because she is passionate about soccer. Fairouz, Ideline Akimana of Bridgetown High and Ameerah Conrad of Wynberg Girls High, represented the Western Cape at the national event. Ideline won third place with her presentation on the plight of Burundi Refugees in South Africa. “Oral history is basically about people’s voices that have not been heard and we, the young people, are given that opportunity to let the world know about these voices that have not been recognised,” commented Ideline. Jonathan Jacobs, a teacher at Bridgetown High, received a Certificate of Merit for his paper on the methodology of Oral History and his dedicated involvement in Oral History at his school. Last year a learner from Bridgetown High School, Yumna Jackson, won first place. She represented the Southern African countries at the J 8 Conference (part of the G 8 Conference) in Rome in July this year where she met world leaders.

Cape Town IRT reaches out to schools

he City of Cape Town is reaching out to schools as part of the public awareness drive for its new Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system. The long-term IRT plan is for all public transport modes in the city to work together to provide frequent, fast and reliable services, and central to this is the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. This will see buses operating on dedicated lanes to swiftly move commuters between roadside stations being built across the city, while smaller vehicles will transport people between stations and surrounding areas that do not form part of the main routes. A recent talk to staff and pupils at Camps Bay High School yielded interest and excitement over what these planned public transport changes will mean. “This is going to be fantastic,” said Vivienne Ashcroft, the school’s marketing official. Although situated in the affluent suburb of Camps Bay along Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard, students at this diverse school come from as far away as Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay and Crossroads, and punctuality is a problem. “Some kids have to travel by taxi, then bus, then train from far away just to come to school. This will make a major difference to their lives,” Ashcroft said. The new system will make it convenient and affordable for students to school in areas away

from where they live, with a single ticket allowing commuters to conveniently hop off one transport mode and onto another and fares remaining as low as existing public transport. Pinki Sibindi, a Grade 11 learner, currently travels on a bus arranged for the many learners from Hout Bay but said it’s expensive, not always on time and when it comes to after-school activities, it is a

“... WHEN IT COMES TO AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, IT IS A STRUGGLE WITH TRANSPORT BACK HOME.”

“struggle with transport back home”. “There are no more buses and no taxis and I usually have to catch a cab which costs R100.” She said she looks forward to the extended operating hours of the IRT that would allow her to pursue extra-curricular activities. The system’s emphasis on security and camera surveillance will ensure a safer public transport environment, further encouraging public transport use and making parents more comfortable with their children doing so. Head Boy Russell Darien agreed. “A lot of people really love the idea of this new system but they don’t want to depend on it and have it fail them. If it’s frequent, well established and safe then I’m sure parents will start getting their kids to use it.” An artist’s impression of the IRT system

New departmental requirements

New progression and promotion requirements for 2010 ew progression and promotion requirements for schools will be in effect from January after schools received a late reprieve this year when the Department of Basic Education decided to postpone the application until after a review of the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement. The department would like to incorporate recommendations of the review into policy before implementing the new progression and promotion requirements. The new progression requirements cover Grades 1 to 8, while the promotion requirements cover promotion from Grade 9 to 10. To progress in the Foundation Phase (Grades 1 – 3), where the rating scale is 1 – 4, learners must obtain at least a rating code of 3 for Literacy (Home Language or language of learning and teaching) and at least a rating code of 3 for the Numeracy learning programmes. Progression in the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 – 6), with a rating scale of 1 -4, requires at least a rating code of 3 for any three learning areas, one of which must either be the Home Language or the language of learn-

ing and teaching, and at least a rating code of 2 for any three of the remaining learning areas, one of which must be Mathematics. The rating scale in the Senior Phase is 1 – 7 and learners must get a rating of code of 4 for any three learning areas, one of which must be Home Languages or the language of learning and teaching, and at least a rating code of 3 for any three of the remaining learning areas, one of which must be Mathematics. The new progression and promotion requirements will ensure that clear achievable targets are spelt out in the assessment of learners so that both teachers and learners aim to meet the same targets. It will ensure that learner performance is standardized across the different learning contexts across all provinces. “We are determined to assist schools to manage education delivery more effectively and we are committed to ongoing engagements with all concerned to ensure that introductions affecting the school system are announced before the end of September of the year preceding implementation,” said Brian Schreuder, Deputy-Director-General: Curriculum Management.

wcednews

NOVEMBER 2009

news

At a glance

“TOILETS ARE ALL FITTED WITH TWO LITRE FLOTATION BOTTLES TO CUT DOWN ON EXCESS USAGE.”

The York Environmental Club planted trees around the hockey ﬁelds but many of the trees have died because of the drought.

Southern Cape schools affected by drought The effect of the worst drought in living memory is having its impact on all aspects of the George community, including York High school, writes Susan Bryson, a teacher in charge of the York Environmental Club.

oth staff and learners are concerned about the shortage and restrictions which bring into reality the sustainability of the planet’s most important resource. York has a long reputation as a leading sports school in the Western Cape and our sports fields are of pride to the school and especially the various coaches. With the current water restrictions these fields are in grave danger of deterioration which will take years to repair and the future of quality

sport will be affected. Our cricket pitch is used three times a week for practices and all day Saturday for matches. In the past maintenance of the pitch required watering directly after use. However the ban on watering until after 7pm on alternate days does not allow for the damaged grass to regenerate. The Astro turf, which was a community supported initiative and source of revenue to our school, has been closed for play due to water limitations. It is a hired facility for various hockey tournaments in

this area and used for a development hockey program to encourage love of the sport to less privileged players. In addition our hostel has put into effect harsh restrictions and many water saving practices. Students are allowed only one daily shower of one minute. Buckets are used to collect the cold water before the hot runs through. The water collected in this way is used for brushing teeth and shaving. All grey water is used to water the garden and mop floors. Toilets are all fitted with two

litre flotation bottles to cut down on excess usage. In 2006 the York Environmental Club launched an action project for a “Greener York”. This involved planting trees around the hockey fields, fondly named the Quarry fields. Members of the club collected donated trees from local nurseries and with a generous donation from Fancourt Country Club and Hotel, 200 trees were planted. The planting was a “York Team Challenge” with sports, cultural and class teams involved in a mass planting on the fields. Sadly this legacy by the founder members of our award-winning Enviro club is being adversely affected by the drought and many of the trees have died. At York we believe the best way to bring about awareness and to survive the water shortage crisis is by education. An address by the George Municipality to the entire school was scheduled for the last week of October and in each subject area teachers are stressing the importance of saving water at school and at home. We are united in our prayer for rain if we are to retain and preserve the quality of our beautiful grounds and facilities for the future generations of Yorkies to pass through our school.

Annual report wins award

Rondebosch Boys’ Preparatory School is a NO BULLY ZONE

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) received the Annual Public Sector Reporting Award of the 2007/08 financial year, for the best annual report in the province. The Southern African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA) introduced the awards eight years ago to recognise the pursuit of excellence in annual reports published in all provincial and national departments. The SAIGA Reporting Awards project produces twelve awards: one for the best report of a national department; one for the best provincial department (for each of the nine provinces); one for the most consistent highest score over the last three years; and an award to the department obtaining the overall highest score. The criteria for annual reports and annual financial statements include understandability, reliability and technical correctness. The WCED scored 94.84%.

ondebosch Boys’ Preparatory School has always had a very strong anti-bullying policy, but the school was concerned that there may be an element of bullying within the school and there had recently been some reports of bullying in the media at other schools. To ascertain whether there was a bullying issue within the school, a bully survey was developed and all parents, staff and learners took part in answering the anonymous questionnaire. The outcomes of the survey have been consistent across the board and RBPS can proudly report that there are very few bullying incidents at all and those that were reported are not consistent but ‘one-off’ occurrences.

Parents and pupils commented how positively the Peer Mediation Programme has helped to keep bullying in check. The highly successful Peer Mediation programme has operated within the school since 2001 and is run by Grade 7 Educator, Joey Salmans. Eighteen Grade 7 boys are selected to act as ‘peace brokers’. The boys are trained in how best to resolve conflict, firstly by asking the disputers to suggest solutions to the source of conflict. In this way, respect for one another is encouraged, solutions to problems are realised, rather than the focus on the problem itself. RBPS has seen huge benefits in running a programme such

as this, as this teaches learners to utilise a lifelong skill in how to deal with conflict in a mature and positive manner.

National Senior Certiﬁcate Examination 2009 Total number of candidates in the Western Cape: 48 492 Full time: 46 790 Part-time: 1 702 Number of examination centres: 415 Examination Dates:

7 to 9 Oct

(CAT/IT/speed test – practical)

26 Oct to 4 Dec (Written subjects) Candidates to be available up to 11 December 2009 for any eventuality

Number of examination papers to be written: 102 Number of examination paper images printed: 25 million Number of examination scripts:

800 000 Number of markers to mark scripts: 3 100 Marking period: 9 to 15 Dec Total number of students (mark checkers): 450 Invigilators to perform duties at 415 examination centres:

2 163 Pass rates:

2005: 84,4% 2006: 83,7% 2007: 80,6% 2008: 78,6% ABET LEVEL 4 EXAM:

26 Oct to 13 Nov Entries: 1 960 Centres: 107

news wcednews is the official newspaper of the Western Cape Education Department. wcednews@pgwc.gov.za Tel: 021 467 2707 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION

Paddy Attwell EDITOR

Millicent Merton CONTRIBUTORS

Andile Siyengo Berenice Daniels Bronagh Casey Caroline Fowler Hennie Mentz Doreen Solomons Sharivan Moodley Siphelele Maqubela Susan Bryston Susan Hanekom DESIGN

Infestation, Tel: 021 424 6701, Julia Ayerst and Jacky Smith

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

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Message from the MEC It’s hard to believe that we are fast approaching the end of the school year. Personally I feel the last seven months have flown by, but I know that for many of you this has been a long year and that you are looking forward to a much needed and well deserved summer holiday. I am well aware of the many challenges some of you have faced this year. When I was first appointed I had no illusions about the task at hand, but by discussing these challenges with many of you at “the coalface” made me further realise just how big this task really is. I have been fortunate enough to have visited over 140 schools in the Province in the last seven months. I would like to thank every school and district office for welcoming me with open arms and for the frank and honest discussions we have had. Through our communication I have learnt a great deal from many of you. I have seen such strength of character in principals that face a multitude of challenges each day, dedication and commitment in teachers that are not recognized often enough, and determination by those that want to see their school succeed no matter what lies ahead. It is most encouraging to have so many principals and teachers approach me with a view to improving their skills. We have already piloted a leadership training programme in Metro East, and I look forward to rolling out similar such programmes in other districts to come. This is certainly a step in the right direction to turning one’s school around! I sincerely hope that the kind of honest and open communication we have this year continues in the New Year, as we have an exciting time ahead and together, with our new Head of Department Penny Vinjevold, we can make 2010 one of the best year’s yet for education in the Western Cape. Thank-you to all our educators and WCED officials for their work during the past year. Enjoy your holidays, take time to recuperate and I will see you all in the New Year! Kind Regards

Donald Grant MEC for Education Western Cape

Learners at the Cape Academy are part of the Young Falcons, the South African Air Force’s Youth Programme.

Cape Academy gives wings to learners’ dreams The Cape Academy of Maths, Science and Technology in Tokai was rated as one of the country’s top Mathematics and Science schools in a national survey.

ncipal Greg van Schalkwyk attributed their success to team work, dynamic teachers, highenergy input and partnerships. The academy was started in 2004 by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) with the explicit objective to provide a high quality FET education (Grades 1012) to socio-economically deprived learners from especially rural areas. The school has 290 learners from different areas in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape. Van Schalkwyk said the residential model offers a safe environment to learners. “They get three balanced meals a day and because most of

Most learning happens ou tside the

the children are on site we do not have a problem with late coming. The teachers are also always available and put in extra hours.” A normal school day starts at 07:30 and it is not uncommon for the lights in the laboratory to burn until 21:30. The academy is at the forefront of technological innovation. It was one of six schools selected to take part in a pilot project that uses MXit to deliver mathematics tutorials to learners. Van Schalkwyk said the learners received questions on the MXit channel and the aim was to see how they tackled the problems to find mathematical solutions. Learners are also always involved

classroom.

with experiments and practical work. The academy recently won eight gold medals at the Science Expo. Learners also often took part in international competitions. Van Schalkwyk said the school also offered a variety of enrichment, sport and cultural activities to ensure that their graduates are well rounded individuals who can take their rightful place in society. He however admitted that a model such as theirs does not come cheap and the academy relies heavily on partnerships. “We wouldn’t be able to do it without our various partners.”

Adopt a school The smallest gesture can have a huge impact on learners’ educational experience. his was the message from the Western Cape Education Foundation following a successful Adopt-a-school initiative with the life assurance company Old Mutual. Old Mutual employees decided to adopt three schools in Langa and Nyanga, Moshesh Primary, Mokone Primary and Liwa Primary, during the company’s annual year end “Care and Share” month, when staff are encouraged to take part in community development projects through their Staff Volunteer

Programme (SVP). An array of items were donated to the schools including 10 computers, a digital camera, a school banner, A4 printing paper, a South African flag, cups and spoons, paint and sports kits. Wayne Blauw, WCEF manager, said the schools were very grateful for the donations. “The principal of Moshesh Primary reported that the school banner helped to instill a sense of identity and esteem in learners especially when they participate in competitions. The

digital camera will help to capture important events and for the school to show off their achievements by posting the pictures on their notice boards.” Blauw said the WCEF encourages companies, in particular small and medium enterprises, to adopt schools in their areas. “The main aim of the WCEF, which has its origins in the Western Cape Education Trust, is to improve the quality of education in the province and the country as a whole by initiating, undertaking

and supporting relevant projects and programmes that are aligned with the core objectives of public education. “The foundation is finalising a similar Adopt-a-School initiative and we are excited about the prospect of more and more companies getting involved in such a worthy initiative.” Contact the Western Cape Education Foundation on 021 674 5341 or wblauw@pgwc.gov.za http://wced. wcape.gov.za/wcef

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

news

Thank you teacher!

Top Teachers

World Teachers’ Day was celebrated around the world on 5 October. estern Cape MEC, Donald Grant visited a number of schools to personally say thank-you to the teachers and present to them a small token of the Department’s appreciation - a Thank you teacher book. The book comprises a collection of messages from learners to their teachers and was conceptualized by Eddie Kirsten, Director of Human Capital Development, and sponsored by the Oxford University Press and ABC Printing. “This book creatively acknowledges that the efforts of our teachers have not gone unnoticed by some of their fiercest critics - the learners themselves. The admiration that some of our learners have for their teachers is evident in this book. It is a love-letter of appreciation from learners to teachers to thank-you,” Grant said. Thirty-thousand (30 000) copies of the book had been printed and every teacher across the province was to receive a copy. The various education district offices also organised events in honour of educators. Teachers in the Eden and Central Karoo Education District were treated to a presentation by Anthony Noble. The title of Noble’s presentation was: “Your destiny is not and should not be determined by your present situation”. He encouraged the audience to make comments as he completed a painting in less than 30 minutes. The canvas he used had a horrid patch on it which depreciated the value to the onlookers, yet in the end the canvas was changed into a valuable painting. Noble explained that he wanted to practically demonstrate lifetruths and values. “For many the presentation was a life-changing experience which left a deep impression in our thinking. The painting was left as a lasting legacy which is what ALL teachers are expected to leave.”

The country’s top teachers were recently honoured at a glittering event in Pretoria.

“THE BOOK COMPRISES A COLLECTION OF MESSAGES FROM LEARNERS TO THEIR TEACHERS.”

arien Laubscher, a life sciences and mathematics teacher at Graafwater High School, was the second runner-up in the category Excellence in Secondary School Teaching. Laubscher, a facilitator for some standard-setting workshops, was commended for her efforts to change learners’ attitudes towards Maths and Science for the better. The other Western Cape finalists in the National Teacher Awards were:

RIGHT: Anthony Noble, a local artist, engaged the audience during World Teachers’ Day celebrations in Beaufort-West. BELOW: Thandiwe Tyeku and Nomonde Matroos, teachers at Bulumko Secondary School in Khayelitsha, page through the Thank You Teacher-book presented to teachers.

Excellence in Primary School Teaching:

Jessica Pilaar and Estelle Aäron from Nieuwedrift Primary School in Noorder Paarl

Excellence in Grade R Teaching:

Elizabeth Gorridon, a teacher at Agape School in Mitchells Plain

Excellence in Inclusive Education and Special Needs Teaching:

Esmérelda Tucker, Sandra Mouton, Liezel de Kock, Andriette Brand and Andrea Lotz from the Paarl School for Neurally Handicapped Children in Brackenfell

Excellence in Primary School Leadership:

Rashida Jardien, Deputy Principal of Marine Primary School in Ocean View

Excellence in Secondary School Leadership:

William Prinsloo, Principal of Zeekoeivlei Secondary School in Lotus River

Excellence in Adult Basic Education and Training:

Magdelene Worship, centre manager of the Malmesbury Community Learning Centre

Sunday Times Top Western Cape High Schools (in alphabetical order): Bloemhof High School Cape Academy of Maths, Science and Technology D.F. Malan High School Durbanville High School Fairmont High School Fish Hoek High School

Hoër Jongenskool Paarl Jan van Riebeeck High School La Rochelle Girls High School Oudtshoorn High School Paarl Girls’ High Parel Vallei High School Paul Roos Gimnasium

Rhenish Girls’ High School Rondebosch Boys’ High Rustenburg Girls’ High South African College High School Stellenberg High School Stellenbosch High School

Swellendam High School Westerford High School Wynberg Boys’ High School Wynberg Girls High School York High School Source: Sunday Times Top 100 schools

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

feature

Family literacy:

Bringing home and school closer together

The Western Cape Education Department recently presented a consolidated provincial report of the Family Literacy Project. WCED news brings you a synopsis of that report.

Family Literacy Project was launched by the Western Cape Education Department’s Adult Education and Training (AET) Sub-directorate last year to establish programmes that promote the literacy development of children and adults in various contexts. Eleven Adult Education and Training Centres in schools from the 28 priority areas around the province took part in the pilot project. The family unit is the primary focus of these efforts to promote literacy development, by bringing the school in the home and/or bringing the home into the school. Overall the outcomes achieved in the family literacy programmes show that the objective to improve the educational performance of the children by building enabling learning partnerships between children and parents/caregivers, were met.

IMPROVED PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP All Family literacy Centres reported that the learners, both parents/ caregivers and children, had developed a more positive relationship with each other. There was a significant enhancement in the parentchild relationship, where parents put more effort into spending time with their children and family. Communication between parents and children had increased. In George CLC and Windermere CLC, in particular, parents were said to have a better understanding of what their children had to endure in the learning process. Parents were able to identify opportunities and techniques to assist their children at home with literacy and numeracy activities.

DEVELOPMENT OF LITERACY AND NUMERACY SKILLS Overall, literacy skills were developed between parents and chil-

dren. All Family Literacy Centres reported improved reading and writing ability. Parents were more confident in teaching their children and helping them with their work at home. Learners in Piketberg CLC and Oudtshoorn CLC showed visible progress in mainstream schools, as stated in the school reports, As a result of improved reading and writing ability, the learners’ interaction in mainstream schools had improved and was more positive. In Porterville CLC a book club had been established between the two host schools, Bradenburg and Willemsvallei primary schools.

EMPOWERMENT The confidence levels of parents with low literacy levels increased drastically. Parents who had previously felt insecure about their reading and writing ability felt empowered and had developed a much higher self-esteem. Kraaifontein CLC reported an excellent relationship between parents, principals, educators and farmers in the community, thus improving interaction and communication within group work discussions. In Breederiver and Porterville CLC, the family literacy programme has been the catalyst for social change and entrepreneurship, where parents are involved in beadwork and sewing classes.

AWARENESS OF FAMILY LITERACY An awareness of the importance of family literacy was heightened. Because of the parent-child interaction in the family literacy classes, parents put more effort into spending time with their families. All Family Literacy centres reported that parents had gained a better understanding of the importance of their role as the first educators and carers of their children. With this awareness, parents were more involved with their children, thus simultaneously improving the literacy and numeracy of the parent and the child. The learners’ literacy and numeracy abilities in the programmes have improved significantly. The majority of Family Literacy Centres felt strongly that the programmes should continue. Given the outcomes achieved, it is clear

Reading together helps to build families.

“PARENTS WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY FELT INSECURE ABOUT THEIR READING AND WRITING ABILITY FELT EMPOWERED AND HAD DEVELOPED A MUCH HIGHER SELF-ESTEEM.”

that the educational performance of children has improved as a result of the programme. Learning partnerships between children, parents/caregivers and schools were enabled. In addition, parents/ caregivers have gained more confidence and have become stronger supporters of community development.

CONCLUSION The 11 AET centres drafted and submitted reports to the WCED. The reports outlined the goals of the programme, the structure of the programme, identified the beneficiaries (including the number of family literacy groups, as well as the days and hours in which the programme was offered. In addition the outcomes, including the challenges, and successes of the programmes were presented. Essentially, what resulted was an improvement in the educational performance of the learners. The adults’ literacy and numeracy abilities had improved to the extent that they could better support their children’s education. The likelihood

of the parents/caregivers improving their basic, further and continuing education was increased. This was achieved by building enabling learning partnerships between children and parents/caregivers. Programme shortcomings ranged from poor attendance by learners in the programme, to a lack of resources and sufficient funding for the successful implementation of the pilot project. Several recommendations were made, including suggestions of measures and mechanisms to address the identified challenges. Recommendations ranged from more regular family workshops; enhancing learning partnerships; building into the programme life-skills and counseling sessions; more engagement with communities; door-to-door advocacy; inclusion of more men in the programme and improved marketing and communications. The continuation of the Family Literacy Project was supported, given the valuable contribution this initiative makes to education and literacy development in our communities.

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

feature

Library upgrade

WCED invests R156-million in school libraries The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is investing R156-million over ﬁve years to expand access to school libraries in the province. Sinalo Ntandathu (15) enjoys coming to the school library.

Harry Gwala Secondary School is declared a reading school A photo of the politician and teacher Harry Gwala was recently unveiled in the foyer of the like-named high school in Khayelitsha as a constant reminder of the school’s new status as a reading school.

he initiative to declare Harry Gwala Secondary School a reading school was a partnership between the Western Cape Education Department, the South African Booksellers Association (SABA) and the Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA). The booksellers and the publishers will provide free books to the library and will provide other learning support materials that will create the conditions for reading in the school. A fund has also been created for the purchase of magazines, software, Science and Maths equipment for the school. WCED officials provided training on how to run a library and will provide ongoing support to the staff. Attendees at the unveiling were told that Gwala read voraciously. A number of learners professed their love for reading while Sivuyile Sigenu and Mtandazo Rondo, Grade

11 learners, said they would definitely heed the advice of renowned author and guest speaker at a Literacy Month event at the school, Dr. Sindiwe Magona. “Life is too short to waste on a boring book,” Magona told the learners to rapturous applause. She said writers, publishers and booksellers must respect young people and give them books that are exciting, readable and which they can be proud to own. “Read books, befriend books, love books. Reading is the key to education,” she added. “I am excited about the fact that we will be able to access information at our school. It will motivate us to read more,” Sivuyile said. Mtandazo stressed the importance of reading: “It opens up opportunities for further studies after Grade 12”. Xoliseka Sokoyi, a Grade 9 learner, said she often came to the library after school to find information for projects, while also reading up about

Khunjulwa Sikasi, Lungile Madela and Sinalo Tandathu ﬁnd the library very useful when they have projects.

different careers. Her classmate, Nontobeko Bheswana said reading helped to improve her English. Nontobeko’s wish for more books in the library was granted when PASA and SABA delivered a consignment of books. Joseph Klassen, Chairman of SABA in the Western Cape, said SABA established a fund to help other schools as well. Jenny Verster, Chairperson of PASA in the Western Cape, said she hope the initiative at Harry Gwala is the first of many more to come. “I am sure the publishers will continue to contribute. I also want to commend Dr. Naicker for starting this initiative.” Dr. Sigamoney Naicker, the WCED’s Chief Director: Curriculum Development, said the department had an understanding of the need for a print culture in poor communities. “We are responding to the challenge. The poorest schools across the province are being equipped with learning support material to create the possibilities for children to read.”

he five-year School Library Project began in 2007 and will continue to 2011/12. The aim is to establish school libraries in the 654 poorest schools in the province, in Quintiles 1 to 3. The project forms part of the national quality improvement, development, support and upliftment programme (QIDS-UP). The School Library Project has already assisted 407 schools in Quintiles 1 and 2 and is investing R43-million in school libraries in Quintile 3 during the current financial year (2009/10). Education authorities classify schools according to relative poverty in five categories called quintiles. The poorest schools are in Quintile 1 and the least poor in Quintile 5. This year’s investment of R43-million includes R32-million for books and related materials, as well as shelving, furniture, computers, library administration software and teacher training. The School Library Project aims initially to provide at least two library resources per learner in each school in poverty Quintiles 1 to 3, in addition to library infrastructure. The longer-term objective is eight items per learner. District school library advisors, resource centre coordinators and QIDS-UP staff are monitoring the roll out of the project and the use of the resources at these schools, to learn lessons that can be applied to expanding the project further. The WCED has employed a team of 13 qualified librarians this year, who are currently training teachers to administer libraries at 60 schools. The WCED plans to appoint one library specialist in each of the province’s eight education districts next year to work full time on advising schools on how to establish and manage their school libraries. Meanwhile, schools receive funding for general expenses every year in terms of national norms and standards. The WCED will advise schools to allocate 10% of these funds earmarked for learning and teaching materials for library resources. The department will encourage schools to celebrate International School Library Month in October to highlight the importance of school libraries in the curriculum and for recreational reading. The WCED also provides specialized

guidance and support to all schools in the Western Cape who are establishing and developing their own school libraries, including recommending titles for schools to purchase. The WCED is well aware of the need to provide libraries and related resources and welcomes all initiatives to support schools and the department in their efforts to achieve this objective. The WCED is looking creatively at how to expand access to these resources in all possible ways.

“THE WCED IS INVESTING IN THREE MORE MOBILE LIBRARIES THIS YEAR.” For example, in addition to establishing school libraries in poor communities, the WCED is investing in mobile libraries that are proving their worth, especially in rural areas. The WCED currently has four mobile libraries, operating in buses in Vredendal, Zoar, Elgin and Khayelitsha. The mobile library in Khayelitsha is believed to be the first of its kind in an urban area in South Africa. It regularly visits between nine and 10 schools in the township. The WCED is investing in three more mobile libraries this year. One of them will operate in the Metropole North Education District, while two will operate in the Overberg Education District. The department is also investing heavily in providing access to digital and online and resources for schools in poor communities. The WCED’s Khanya Project has installed computer facilities to support teaching and learning at 1 077 schools in the Western Cape so far, and is currently expanding access to computer facilities at a further 103 schools. About 793 000 learners are currently benefitting from the project in the province. Meanwhile, the WCED is working with the University of the Western Cape to provide formal library training for teachers. Teachers can study for Advanced Certificates in Education in school library administration at UWC, funded by WCED bursaries.

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

feature

WHO IS BERENICE DANIELS? Daniels was one of the coordinators of the National Commission for Special Needs in Education and Training and National Committee for Education Support Service appointed by the Minister of Education in 1996 to investigate and make recommendations on all aspects of special needs and support services in education and training in South Africa. Their report “Quality Education for All” was published in 1997. The report was the precursor to new policy promulgated in 2001 on Special Needs and Inclusive Education.

Globetrotter

School psychology for diversity The International School Psychology Association every year organises a colloquium in a different part of the world. This year the conference was held in Malta, a tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean.

he theme of the conference was “School Psychology for Diversity” and one of our officials Berenice Daniels, Chief Education Specialist for Specialised Learner and Educator Support (SLES) at Metro South Education District, was asked to be one of the keynote speakers. Daniels entitled her presentation, “Developing Inclusive Policy and Practice in Diverse Contexts – A South African Experience”. She began her talk with a quotation by Wilf Nussey from his book “South Africa: A Glorious Country”. Nussey writes of South Africa as “… a country born of conquest and shaped by conflict which has at last reached a maturity that holds the promise of a stable future…Despite more than 3 centuries of confrontation that has left South Africa with an enormous social imbalance, it has abundant talent, a modern infrastructure, great economic potential and an entrenched democracy”. She explained that pre-1994, South Africa was a country riddled with inequality and discrimination stemming from the policy of apartheid. Since 1994, there have been considerable efforts made to enable the country

to move toward becoming non-racial and democratic, with a culture of human rights and social justice. One of the primary tasks of the new democratically elected government was a reform of the education system. Specialised Education was initially neglected, but then in 1996 the National Commission and Committee were appointed to investigate Special Needs in Education and Education Support Services. She indicated that the timeline for the full implementation of the White Paper 6 on Inclusive Education is 20 years, from 2001 to 2021. Inclusive Education in South Africa aims to address the needs of all learners by reducing barriers to learning, welcoming diversity and fostering maximum participation by all in the culture of the school. The first phase included advocacy of the new policy and a baseline survey of all special schools and specialised support provision in the country. The next phase included the identification of 30 districts in the country to field-test the policy. One of these districts was Metro South Education District. It is a district which contains amongst the wealthiest suburbs in the country as

well as the poorest informal settlements. She discussed the challenges for implementation of the policy in diverse contexts, emerging promising practice and the implications for specialised support professionals, in particular the role of school psychologists. Daniels concluded her presentation with a quotation from David Lam (1999). In his paper “Generating Extreme Inequality : Schooling, Earning and Inter-generational

“… A COUNTRY BORN OF CONQUEST AND SHAPED BY CONFLICT WHICH HAS AT LAST REACHED A MATURITY THAT HOLDS THE PROMISE OF A STABLE FUTURE…”

Transmission of Poverty in South Africa and Brazil”, Lam states that “Education is one of the most widely discussed determinants of inequality in South Africa because of its potential as a policy instrument that may reduce inequality at the same time that it raises mean income.” The national Inclusive Education directorate believes that Inclusive Education in South Africa is arguably “not something which has to happen in addition to education reform, but one of the means through which social and educational transformation can be achieved”. She said that she trusted that developing an educational system that enables inclusive education will lead to a quality education for all in our country South Africa with its diverse population and its divided past. The presentation was very well received by the delegates from more than 40 countries across the world. Berenice has also been asked to write up her presentation as a journal article for a special conference edition of the School Psychology International Journal which will be published in January 2010.

SA POLICY ON SPECIAL NEEDS AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Thirty districts in South Africa were chosen to field-test the new policy, one of which was Metro South Education District. In December 2008, Treasury announced a R8,5 billion funding package to roll out Inclusive Education to all districts in the country. Full-service or model inclusive schools are now being created in all 8 districts, special schools are being transformed into resource centres to assist mainstream schools, new specialised support posts, e.g. therapy posts, have been created over the last few months in all districts and training in identifying addressing barriers to learning is being progressively rolled out for all educators.

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

school management

More time for teaching and learning he Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, recently announced changes that will relieve teachers and schools of some of the challenges experienced as a result of the current curriculum and assessment Responding to concerns about the administrative burden on teachers, Motshekga established a task team in July this year. After consultation with teachers and stakeholders, the team recommended changes that will leave more time for teaching and learning. The report also recommended targeted support for teachers and schools. Motshekga said the intention of the changes that will take effect from January 2010 is firstly to simplify the admin-

istrative functions that teachers are responsible for and that do not have a major bearing on their teaching, and secondly to provide structured, systemic support. Only one file for administrative purposes will be required from teachers, the use of portfolios will be discontinued and the number of projects required by learners will be reduced.

Other recommendations that will be implemented are to:

Develop syllabi for implementation in 2011 Reduce the number of learning areas in Intermediate Phase Emphasise the use of English from as early as possible for the majority of our learners that use

English as language of learning Clarify the role of subject advisers

To support the above, the Department of Basic Education will:

Plan for all learners from grade 4-12 to receive their own textbooks for every learning area/subject.

materials and teacher training, with emphasis on maths, science and technology. The Foundations for Learning Programme will be implemented for Grades R -6 in all schools in 2010. The Department of Basic Education has developed extensive learning and teaching packs for teachers to assist with planning, teaching and learning. These packs will be distributed to all primary schools. There will be annual assessment of Mathematics, Home language and English FAL in Grades 3, 6 and 9.

Strengthen the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC) that aims to mobilise all South Africans to commit to the goal of quality in education.

There is a moratorium on the development and distribution of new curriculum documents until the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy documents by the Department.

Continue to implement the Quality Improvement, Development, Support and Upliftment Programme (QIDS-UP) that targets poor, underperforming schools with the provision of curriculum support in the form of libraries, laboratories, teaching

The Department will continue to strengthen language teaching in schools, by encouraging mother tongue instruction in the initial phases and the early introduction of English for those learners who will be using English as the language of learning later.

President meets with principals President Jacob Zuma met with 1 500 school principals from around the country in Durban to launch a new drive to change the learning, teaching and management of schools. Zuma told the principals that education was priority number one for his administration and that he would visit schools unannounced to check if the non-negotiables are being adhered to. Non-negotiables include that teachers should be in school, in class, on time and teaching and that children should be respectful of their teachers and each other, and do their homework. Zuma said school principals are the most important partners in this education renewal campaign. “A large number of our schools that are working well displayed shared leadership qualities, where principals created strong teams which plan and strategise together. This shared responsibility for the quality of education provided in the school often spread from the management team, to teachers, learners, parents and the community.” The principals welcomed the initiative and pledged their support for ongoing interaction to enable quality education.

Training courses

School readiness audit The school year is drawing to close and while teachers and principals are looking forward to some well deserved rest, some important tasks still needs to be concluded to ensure a care free break and a smooth start to the new academic year. To assist school management teams the Chief Directorate: Districts compiled a collated school readiness audit to evaluate the preparedness of the school for the 2010 school year.

KEY TASKS FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER INCLUDE: filing of mark schedules, question papers, answer scripts and memoranda; completion, certification and filing of promotion schedules finalisation of transfer certificates; completion of cumulative record cards; evaluation of personnel; allocation of personnel according to qualification and subjects; school security during holidays (arrange for police supervision); and care of school grounds during holidays The checklist deals with amongst others, infrastructure, safety and security, learning and teaching support material, curriculum and assessment, learner admissions and personnel management and timetabling. It has to be signed off by the deputy principal and the principal and verified by the IMG manager/circuit team member and the Circuit Team Manager.

For a month-by-month checklist, see WCED Online: http://wced.wcape.gov.za/home/service/ admins/checklist.html

2010 SCHOOL READINESS AUDIT EXCERPT This checklist evaluates the preparedness of the school for the 2010 calendar year

1. INFRA-STRUCTURE No.

POSITION STATEMENT

1.1

School buildings (including hostel facilities, where applicable) are clean and grafﬁti-free

1.2

Ablution facilities are hygienic and in working order

1.3

All broken desks, tables and chairs are written off and disposed

1.4

ICT equipment( including fax machines, e-mail facilities) is in working order

1.5

All classrooms, including specialised venues such as laboratories and computer, are cleaned and arranged for the start of the school year

Yes

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION INTERESTED EDUCATORS ARE WELCOME TO CONTACT THE RELEVANT COORDINATOR: Nobantu Pasiya – Head of the CTLI Tel: 021 900 5022 or npasiya@pgwc.gov.za

2. SAFETY AND SECURITY No.

POSITION STATEMENT

2.1

The school is in possession of a safety and security management plan

2.2

Operational measures are in place to combat vandalism, grafﬁti and littering

2.3

Plans are in place to safe-guard school during the vacation period (this includes functional alarm systems and the repair of broken fences, doors and windows)

2.4

Emergency safety and security procedures are made available to all staff members and governing body members

2.5

Specialised venues (which include laboratories) and school hostels (where applicable) meet basic safety requirements

The Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI) has recently released its training calendar for 2010 to enable all our educators and school managers to properly plan their development for the year ahead. In addition to the very popular set of training courses presented every year, exciting conferences are planned, including The Maths Solutions Conference at the CTLI and also de-centralized to areas such as the Overberg, West Coast and Eden Karoo. The CTLI is also working on seminars and a conference for school principals. The CTLI will capacitate more than 3 000 teachers with their various programmes in 2010. The training calendar for 2010 offers courses to school principals and teachers during school terms and school holidays. Persons interested in attending these courses are advised to register as early as possible, via their education district offices.

Yes

André Lamprecht – School Management Tel: 021 900 5020 or alamprec@pgwc.gov.za Magdalena Benn – Foundation Phase Tel: 021 900 5016 or mabenn@pgwc.gov.za Keith Scheepers – Senior Phase Tel: 021 900 5001 or kscheepe@pgwc.gov.za Suzette Manuel – Intermediate Phase Tel: 021 900 5018 or smanuel@pgwc.gov.za

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

insight&opinion

Directorate:

Research Services - Seminar series The goal of the seminars is to promote a research culture within the WCED and to link research endeavour to policy development and practice. Several seminars were held over the last few weeks which included the following:

“THE LEARNER DEVELOPMENT APPROACH ADOPTED BY THE COLLEGE FOCUSES ON TRAINING LEARNERS IN THE PARTICULAR FOCUS AREAS OF SCIENCE, MATHS AND ENGLISH.”

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Innovation in Education: LEAP College of Maths and Science The seminar by John Gilmour, the founder of the LEAP (Langa Educational Assistance Programme) School, focused on using LEAP College of Maths and Science as an example for education innovation . in the South African education system which is characterised by inequalities and disparities. Learners attending this school face, amongst other things, difficult socio-economic circumstances and disintegrated families. The learner development approach adopted by the College focuses on training learners in the particular focus areas of Science, Maths and English. LEAP uses an approach that Gilmour has been exposed to as a teacher and the principal at leading schools and colleges. According to Gilmour the success of the LEAP College can be attributed to discipline through a code of conduct based on trust, respect, communication, family involvement and value system. Seminar attendants had an opportunity to listen to two learners explaining how the College had changed their attitude from pessimism to optimism. Gilmour however, acknowledged that language remains a problem. One of the key advantages of the college is its size. The teacher/student ratio allows for more focus on the individual learner as opposed to the situation in public schools. Interest was shown with reference to the Teacher Internship Programme and the level of emphasis placed on broadening learners’ understanding of various career options.

Extra classes for better marks

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The seminar presented by Dr Cas Prinsloo of the HSRC explored a Plus-Time Project which was a joint study by the Shuttleworth Foundation, the WCED and the HSRC. Plus Time started as a Grade 8 intervention in July to November 2007. It involved 20 hours of extra classes after school hours in Mathematics and English. Participating schools were grouped into project and controlled schools. It was observed that learners who attended all the lessons improved more than those who did not attend all the lessons. The 2007 report recommended that the

original cohort of learners’ progress at school be traced. The 2008 study looked at whether the tuition programme continued to benefit learners who had undergone the programme 12 to 18 months before. The major finding was that the learners continued to perform far better than the learners who were not part of the project. In addition the study indicated that language ability influenced performance and additional or extra tuition more especially in Mathematics had lasting effects on the number based learning areas. It was indicated that a project of this nature brings hope in terms of the challenges facing schools at the start of learners’ high school careers. The study provided hope that some of the backlogs that learners may carry with them into secondary school, can be addressed.

No fee schools This seminar was presented by Dr Rashid Ahmed from the University of the Western Cape based on a paper he had published with Dr Yusuf Sayed of the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. They examined the impact of the application of the no fee policy in terms of improving educational access for communities with limited resources. From the presentation and discus-

sion it was clear that while the intention of the policy is very progressive, access issues are broader than just fee payment. Further, it was noted that fee payment is an emotional thing in our society where there is a constitutional promise of free education. It was noted that the practical challenges of application and monitoring will require further scrutiny.

Education quality in South Africa This seminar was presented by Prof Servaas van der Bergh of the University of Stellenbosch. In this seminar interesting correlations between economic development, the quality of education and the proportion of schools that offer quality education were made. The key purpose of the seminar was to explain how education can be a constraint on social mobility and economic development. The presentation provided an overview of the performance patterns of South African learners in internationally benchmarked examinations. In unpacking the nature of the low performance, strong links were made between socio economic status and performance, with schools that are in affluent areas generally doing better than schools in deprived areas.

The question then was, how can the schools that cater for the majority be made to produce quality education that would allow learners to contribute to meaningful economic development and be upwardly mobile?

“HOW CAN SCHOOLS THAT CATER FOR THE MAJORITY BE MADE TO PRODUCE QUALITY EDUCATION THAT WOULD ALLOW LEARNERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BE UPWARDLY MOBILE?”

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

insight&opinion

“BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE” - GHANDI

uw in front of and Deon Lo er nd ila Ph Saul rge. venue in Geo conference

the

The conference was a wonderful opportunity to network.

Enjoying the refreshm ents.

Getting communities involved Newly elected members of School Governing Bodies recently had an opportunity to network and share good practices during conferences convened by the Directorate: Institutional Management and Governance - Schools.

he conferences were held in Worcester, George and in Kuilsriver to make it accessible to SGB members in the Overberg and Cape Winelands Education Districts, the Eden and Central Karoo Education District and for those members from the Metropolitan and West Coast Education Districts. MEC Donald Grant was the main speaker at the event in George. He said during the 8 years which he spent as a SGB member he became very aware of two major challenges facing all governors. “The first one is the question of how do you staff your schools in the face of what has become a critical shortage of skilled teachers - particularly in certain subjects. The second major challenge that is clearly emerging relates to school finance.” The MEC said the Ministry and the Department are exploring a number of possible ways of alleviating this problem while the funding model is

re-examined at a national level. Archie Lewis, Chief Director: Institutional, Specialised and Operational Support, was the main speaker at the conference in Worcester. He delivered a passionate appeal to SGBs to take up their rightful place as instruments of governance in the schools. Brian Schreuder, DeputyDirector-General: Curriculum Management, and Sindi Lingela, Deputy Director-General: Institution Development and Coordination, were the speakers in Kuilsriver. Lingela spoke about the democratic principles and values that should form the basis of SGBs and school governance. Saul Philander, Chief Education Specialist: IMGP Schools, gave an overview of the roles and responsibilities of SGBs. Philander said the Governing Body’s work can be divided into 6 key functions, namely: Steering (vision & mission Statement, developing policies, etc) Monitoring (adhering to its

Delegates arriving.

own and provincial policies) Support (giving financial management advice) Executive (recruitment of staff) Accountability (ensuring parents are informed) Discipline (maintaining a disciplined & safe environment) Another speaker, Yolanda Damons, briefed the conference about ‘The Burning Lamp’, a project running in the Eden/ Karoo district. The golden thread of the presentation was that SGB members have a wide sphere of influence and the “power” to advocate, motivate, negotiate, network, facilitate to link communities together. Awareness and management of this influence could change communities. She said the following mind shift is important: “fear, blaming, discouragement about our realities will bring us nowhere. We have to look at our communities with new eyes. The Burning Lamps movement is presented as a structure that can

Delegates enjoyed the sunshine.

allow this.” A video presentation of Sapphire Road Primary School in Port Elizabeth was given, with an interview with the principal, Bruce Damons. In his presentation he used a quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see”, to motivate the delegates. Sapphire Road Primary School

achieved a remarkable turnaround within three years, chiefly as a result of community involvement. The video created a very positive response and excitement among SGBs and principals and many requested a copy of the DVD which the IMGP – Schools is having copied and will make available to schools via district offices.

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

reviews

EDULIS:

Don’t have time to read? Then listen …

books and beyond

READ TO LEAD 1

The toxic mix : what’s wrong with South Africa’s schools and how to ﬁx it. (2009) Bloch, Graeme. SNAPSHOT: “… will make a lot of sense to ordinary South Africans struggling to understand why a nation that spends more on school education than any other African state, has the worst results to show for such investment.” Prof. Jonathan Jansen

2 How to say the right thing every time : communicating well with students, staff, parents, and the public. (2009) Ramsey, Robert D. SNAPSHOT: Communicate effectively with all stakeholders through these invaluable tips, including how-to’s for dealing with disasters and approaching sensitive topics such as sex, gangs, and substance abuse.

A guide to better management: 12 titles Setting goals; Effective interviewing; Effective meetings; Managing yourself; Managing change; Using time effectively; Motivating others; Effective presentations; How to write a staff manual; How to get to win … win; Making the right decisions; Manager as role model; Team leader.

Sound success: 16 titles

Lead me, I dare you! : managing resistance to school change. (2007) Bergmann, Sherrel. SNAPSHOT: How to understand and collaborate with the most difficult members of your staff. Tied together by real life “success stories” about school change and succinct leadership tips, the practical advice in this book is supported by research and presented in a conversational style.

4 Contemporary leadership and intercultural competence: exploring the cross-cultural dynamics within organizations. (2009) Michael A. Moodian, editor. SNAPSHOT: Examines the evolving role of cultural diversity in the workplace, the application of cultural comprehension to organisations, and the measurement of various aspects of intercultural competence.

Building a high-performance team; Managing conflict; Managing time to accomplish your goals; Building your confidence & self-esteem; Conducting valuable performance reviews; Leading organizational change; Communicating effectively; Delegating to succeed through others; Coaching to improve performance; Building a high performance team; Selecting and hiring winners; Productive meetings; Motivation; Setting goals; Managing time to achieve your goals; Business writing skills.

We’re open, even when we’re closed! A selection of e-journals is available to EDULIS Library/Resource Centre clients on our website: http://edulis.pgwc.gov.za Look for “electronic resources” Click on e-journals Contact EDULIS Library for access codes: 021 957 9618

Intermediate Learner Must Reads

N U M E R A C Y / M AT H S 1 Understanding mathematics for young children: a guide for foundation stage and lower primary teachers. (2008) Haylock, D. SNAPSHOT: “Helps teachers make mathematics meaningful to young children .. connections are made which relate language, symbols, concrete materials and pictures to the key ideas.” Dr J Anghileri, University of Cambridge

Developing primary mathematics teaching [multimedia 235 p. + 1 CDROM]: reﬂecting on practice with the Knowledge Quartet (2009). Tim Rowland ... [et al.]. SNAPSHOT: Helps to become better, more confident teachers of mathematics. Provides fourstage framework: making sense of foundation knowledge, transforming knowledge, connection, and contingency.

UKwanele ubuyela ekhaya

SNAPSHOT: UKwanele wayesebenza edolophini.

3 Developing primary mathematics teaching [multimedia 235 p. + 1 CDROM]: reﬂecting on practice with the Knowledge Quartet. (2009) Tim Rowland ... [et al.].

Ngenye imini wabuyela ekhaya kusapho lwakhe emaphandleni. Yaba buhlungu intliziyo yakhe akubona umama wakhe kwakhona. Kwakufanele amxelele iindaba ezimbi.

SNAPSHOT: Helps to become

better, more confident teachers of mathematics. Provides fourstage framework: making sense of foundation knowledge, transforming knowledge, connection, and contingency.

The legend of Spud Murphy

SNAPSHOT: A funny story about how two brothers,

whose parents ban them to the library for three afternoons a week during the summer holidays, get hooked on reading.

The legend of the worst boy in the world

SNAPSHOT: A hilarious family story. Over weekends,

Supporting numeracy: a guide for school support staff. (2007) Compton, Ashley.

Will and his grandfather tell each other stories about their lives. His grandfather’s tales are always better ... That is until Will hears the hair-raising story of how his elder brother, Marty, abandoned him (Will) on the new road when he was only two years old.

SNAPSHOT: Offers tested numeracy

strategies for working with students and provides tools for expanding a staff member’s own subject knowledge.

Moeder Gans se rympies & stories

SNAPSHOT: In hierdie pragtige bundel het

rympiekoning Philip de Vos die wêreld se mees geliefde rympies in Afrikaans verwerk.

ce centre Your nearest resour EDULIS LIBRARY Tel 021 957 9618 1st Floor Middestad Mall Charl Malan Street Bellville

CHERYL JOSEPH Tel 021 900 5111 Metropole East Old Nooiensfontein Road Kuils River

NTOMBI MNGXUMA Tel 021 370 2084 Metropole South Brian O’Connell Resource Centre AZ Berman Drive Lengtegeur, Mitchells Plain

INA HEIBERG Tel 021 860 1229 West Coast 6 Hospital Street Paarl

SAM WEBBER Tel 044 803 8328 Eden / Karoo 42 Courtney Street George

JANINE ONTONG Tel 023 348 4657 Cape Winelands 9 Durban Street Worcester

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

arts&culture

Must see documentry

Fezeka’s Voice The screening of a documentary about the Fezeka High School Choir at the Gugulethu festival, elicited laughter, a few tears and amazement about the children’s ability to express themselves so eloquently.

t overwhelmingly touched everyone because of the many stories within the story,” said Phume Tsewu, the choirmaster and central character in the film. Tsewu said at the local screening the audience was eager to catch a glimpse of familiar faces. “At times there was laughter while some people shed a tear, especially when they were confronted with the fact that many of the children come to school hungry. People have come to accept this reality, but to be confronted by it in the film was quite overwhelming.” The film follows Tsewu, an exceptional teacher who spent more than a decade teaching the children at Fezeka High School how to sing. It also focuses on three of his most talented singers; Busi, 16, Nokwanda,

“I

17, and Zukisa, also 17. The central characters as well as the rest of the 77 member choir are filmed prior to their departure for England where they have been invited to perform as part of the Salisbury International Arts Festival in June 2008. It was the first time that the children in the choir went overseas. Best of all, it was an all expenses paid invitation. Two of the boys lost out on an opportunity of a lifetime because they did not get their passports in time. Tsewu also had to deal with personal loss. A few days before the performance in Salisbury, he was told his son died in a car accident. The film explores the joy experienced by the choir members, their growing confidence and self-belief.

“I am so proud of them. Sometimes all they need is just a little pat on the back for them to achieve,” said Tsewu. Several former choir members are studying at university with the aid of a scholarship fund set up to provide the youngsters with a real chance of further education. The Salisbury Community Choir (SCC) raised around R380 000 for the fund and the film will be used as a fund raising tool to ensure that more young people have the option to go to university. What is next for the Fezeka choir? Tsewu is asked. “We are going to shoulder on. Our motto is always to be ready when an opportunity presents itself. We are also in a constant contest with the negative forces that tell the children that

“I AM SO PROUD OF THEM. SOMETIMES ALL THEY NEED IS JUST A LITTLE PAT ON THE BACK FOR THEM TO ACHIEVE” they are going nowhere. You must remember that these children are always hungry, they are suffering from one thing or the other so we must fight to push positive things.” Tsewu has his sights set on the World Choir Games and the film Fezeka’s Voice is testament to the fact that people cannot, and should not be defined by their circumstances.

Enriching lives

The Beau Soleil Music Centre The Western Cape Education Department’s music centre, Beau Soleil, has since its inception in 1982 held as it’s motto: “enriching the lives of young people through music education”

Beau Soleil students hitting the right notes.

ituated in Kenilworth the Beau Soleil Music Centre is housed in an historic national monument. The Music Centre meets the need for specialised instrumental music tuition in the Cape Town area. Presently the centre has about 400 pupils who are drawn from 98 different local schools. Those schools who have actively encouraged their pupils to attend the Beau Soleil Music Centre have, as a result, seen a direct improvement in their own school music programme. Individual lessons in all orchestral instruments are provided by top performing instrumentalists in Cape Town. In addition to this all pupils participate in a graded ensemble programme which consists of four Wind Ensembles, four String Ensembles, four Percussion ensembles, a Brass Ensemble, a Wind Quintet, a String Quartet, two Saxophone Quartets and a Jazz Band.

Instrumental music tuition (including theory and aural) is provided in the following instruments: Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass Woodwind: Saxophone, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon Brass: French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Euphonium Percussion: Drum Kit, General Percussion, Timpani and Mallet Percussion Since 1990 the Music Centre has actively focused on sourcing and accepting pupils from previously disadvantaged communities in order to give them the opportu-

nity of instrumental music tuition. In doing so, the centre help them experience the discipline, skills and enjoyment, which will enrich their lives. It is rewarding to note that a significant number of South Africans in the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra have at some point studied at the Beau Soleil Music Centre. Many music teachers now teaching at local schools received their early instrumental tuition at the Music Centre. The centre is extremely proud that many of the local acts at the International Jazz Festival showcased jazz musicians who have previously studied at the Music Centre. Principals and school music teachers are encouraged to make use of this Western Cape Education Department facility.

Please feel free to contact the Music Centre on 021 7611894 or 7619005 or e-mail the centre for further information on music@bs.wcape.school.za

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

noticeboard A quick guide to

CIRCULARS The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) issued the following circulars and minutes for the period August to October 2009

absence of school based assessment (SBA)

training of teachers (pace: world of work)

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam14_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg6_09.html

Full text available on http://wced.wcape.gov.za/ circulars/circulars09/e26_09.html

0015/2009 Final timetable for abet level 4 examination: October/November 2009

0007/2009 Grade 6 languages and mathematics test items

0027/2009 Procedures for arranging ofﬁcial gatherings (seminars, workshops, training sessions and conferences)

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam15_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg7_09.html

0016/2009 National Senior Certiﬁcate Examinations: prescribed literature for part-time candidates and candidates repeating grade 12 in 2009

0009/2009 Supply of reading schemes and series packs for grades 1- 6, and wall charts for grades 4 - 6 classrooms

0026/2009 WCED Circulars issued during the second quarter of 2009 (01 April 2009 – 30 June 2009)

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e27_09.html

0028/2009 Recommended literature study books for Grades 7 to 11 for 2010 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e28_09.html

0029/2009 Declaration of ﬁnancial interest ›http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e29_09.html

0030/2009 General Education and Training (GET) matters in schools http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e30_09.html

0031/2009 Provision of educators – issuing of staff establishments for 2010 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e31_09.html

0032/2009 Norms and Standards Funding for schools – ﬁnancial allocation for the 2010/2011 ﬁnancial year http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e32_09.html

0033/2009 Arrangements for the Senior Certiﬁcate Examination

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam16_09.html

0019/2009 First drafts of timetables: 2010 National Senior Certificate supplementary examinations november 2010 national senior certificate examinations 2010 May/June senior certificate examinations http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam19_09.html

0021/2009 Provincial and Umalusi moderation of sitebased assessment tasks for abet level 4: October/November 2009 examinations http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam21_09.html

0022/2009 Guidelines for moderation of oral communication in all ofﬁcial languages offered in the National Senior Certiﬁcate examinations http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam22_09.html

0023/2009 Notice to parents regarding the progression and promotion requirements for grades 1 - 9

E-LEARNING AND LIBRARY SERVICES 0003/2009 Celebrating International School Library Month 2009 within the WCED

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg12_09.html

0014/2009 Department of Education’s National Reading Strategy http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg14_09.html

0015/2009 Amesa Mathematics Challenge 2009 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg15_09.html

0016/2009 Life Orientation (get) - career dress-up day, 8 October 2009 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg16_09.html

0017/2009 Mathematics exemplar assessment tasks for grades 4 – 6 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg17_09.html

0018/2009 Supply of wall charts for grades 1 - 6

0034/2009 Procedures to be followed when conducting the National Senior Certiﬁcate Practical Examinations in Computer Applications Technology and Information Technology

0024/2009 Management of assessment irregularities at district level

CURRICULUM FET DCF 0024/2009 National Science Week 2009

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam24_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf24_09.html

0025/2009 Arrangements for the conduct, administration and management of the grade 9 common tasks for assessment: 2009

DCF 0025/2009 The Western Cape Economics Grade 11 Essay Writing Competition 2009/2010

0036/2009 Cost-saving measures to be applied when booking air transport for ofﬁcial purposes http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e36_09.html

PLANNING AND STRATEGY MINUTES: HUMAN CAPITAL PLANNING 0008/2009 Criteria that will apply during the allocation of additional posts to ordinary public schools for 2010 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ PSminutes/edhp8_09.html

RESEARCH SERVICES 0002/2009 Grade 6 Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Tests – 9 to 20 November 2009 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ PSminutes/edrs2_09.html

CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT MINUTES: ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT 0012/2009 Management and conduct of the national foundations for learning assessments in term 4 of 2009 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam12_09.html

0013/2009 Further information regarding progression and promotion for grades 1 - 9 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam13_09.html

0014/2009 Learners with incomplete results due to the

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam25_09.html

0026/2009 Monitoring of the adult basic education and training level 4, national senior certiﬁcate and senior certiﬁcate examinations: October 2009 to June 2010 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam26_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf25_09.html

DCF 0026/2009 Additional Information On 2009-2010 Western Cape Grade 11 Economics EssayWriting Competition http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf26_09.html

DCF 0027/2009 Information On The Final Practical Examinations And Moderation For Dance Studies

0027/2009 Risk management of 2009 national Senior Certiﬁcate and abet level 4 examinations

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf27_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam27_09.html

DCF 0028/2009 Small-Group Tutoring For Mathematics And Physical Science Learners In The Dinaledi, Mst And Focus Schools

0028/2009 Procedures for managing and conducting the Annual National Assessments (foundations for learning) http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam28_09.html

0031/2009 2009 National Senior Certiﬁcate Examinations - clarity on processes leading to writing of computer applications technology speed test http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam31_09.html

0033/2009 Revised 2009 Annual National Assessment timetable for grades 3 and 6 (foundations for learning) http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam33_09.html

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: CURRICULUM GET 0006/2009 Life orientation - grade 7 career guidance

DCF 0036/2009 Poster Promoting 2009-2010 NedbankProvincial Treasury-WCED Western Cape Grade 11 Economics Essay-Writing Competition

0012/2009 Nkosi Albert Luthuli Young Historians’ Award

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg18_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e35_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf35_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf36_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edam23_09.html

0035/2009 Corrections regarding recommended literature for Grades 7 to 11 in 2010

DCF 0035/2009 2010 Lok Symposium for Afrikaans Teachers (Grade 12)

vhttp://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcg9_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e33_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/circulars09/ e34_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf33_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf28_09.html

DCF 0030/2009 2009 Annual Conference Of The South African Society For History Teaching (25 26 September 2009) http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf30_09.html

DCF 0031/2009 Radio Programmes To Assist Grade 12 Candidates http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf31_09.html

DCF 0032/2009 Interactive Map Of Heritage Sites And Museums http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edcf32_09.html

DCF 0033/2009 Distribution of a FET NCS Revision CD For Grades 10 to 12

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edel3_09.html

EXAMINATIONS ADMINISTRATION 0026/2009 National Senior Certiﬁcate Examinations of November 2009: Invitation to Apply for Positions of Chief Marker, Deputy Chief Marker and Internal Moderator to manage the marking of scripts at the marking centre http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edea26_09.html

0028/2009 November 2009 National Senior Certiﬁcate Examinations - Completion of School-Based Assessment Mark Sheets http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edea28_09.html

0030/2009 National Senior Certiﬁcate and Abet Level 4 Examinations (October, November and December 2009): Dispatching, Receipt And Returning Of Examination Material http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edea30_09.html

0031/2009 National Senior Certiﬁcate Examination October/November 2009, Supplementary February/March 2010, as well as Senior Certiﬁcate Examination May/June 2010: Procedures for the Submission of Complaints, Comments And Irregularities

IDC 0015/2009 Ending of School Day for Grades 1 to 11 Learners during the End-Of-Year Examinations http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/eidc15_09.html

INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE PLANNING DIM 0006/2009 Aet Rcl Conference - 5 September 2009 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/edim6_09.html

DIM 0007/2009 2009 School Governing Body Conferences http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/edim7_09.html

SPECIALISED EDUCATION SUPPORT SERVICES DSE 0002/2009 September 2009 - National School Aids Month http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/edse2_09.html

DSE 0003/2009 Life Orientation - Distribution Of Hiv/Aids Ltsm http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/edse3_09.html

DSE 0004/2009 Meningitis and Measles at Schools http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/edse4_09.html

DSE 0005/2009 Kellogg’s Health of the Nation 50-Hour Sports Challenge - 18 September 2009 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/edse5_09.html

CORPORATE SERVICES FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING DFA 0008/2009 Inputs for the Compilation of the Interim Annual Financial Statements for September: 2009-2010 Financial Year http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edfa8_09.html

INTERNAL HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT DHD 0006/2009 2010 Bursaries for Advanced Certiﬁcate in Education

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edea31_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edhd6_09.html

0033/2009 November 2009 National Senior Certiﬁcate Examinations - Subject Changes In Examination Venues

DHD 0007/2009 Training courses to be offered at the Cape Teaching & Leadership Institute in 2010

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CMminutes/edea33_09.html

INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CO-ORDINATION IDC 0006/2009 Loss Of Teaching Time http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/eidc6_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edhd7_09.html

DHD0008/2009 2010 bursaries for advanced certiﬁcate in education: Annexure A http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edhd8_09.html

DHD 0014/2009 Summary of the employment equity act

IDC 0010/2009 Administration Of September Common Examinations

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edhm14_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/eidc10_09.html

INTERNAL HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT DHM 0022/2009 Employee health and wellness poster

IDC 0011/2009 Open Days At Fet Colleges In The Western Cape - 4 & 5 September 2009 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/eidc11_09.html

IDC0012/2009 Scholarship Opportunity For Promising Grade 6 Learners To Study At Leading High Schools http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/eidc12_09.html

IDC 0013/2009 2009-2010 Representative Council of Learners Elections http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/eidc13_09.html

IDC 0014/2009 Grade 3 and 6 Literacy and Numeracy Results http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ IDCminutes/eidc14_09.html

http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edhm22_09.html

DHM 0024/2009 Redesign process: changes in component, post and rank designations http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edhm24_09.html

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING DMA 0001/2009 Austerity measures to be implemented by schools http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edma1_09.html

PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT DPM 0014/2009 List of suppliers for schools’ purchase of learning and teaching support material for period 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2010 http://wced.wcape.gov.za/circulars/minutes09/ CSminutes/edpm14_09.html

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

news

Plant sale beneﬁts Chaeli Campaign This year Grade 6 boys from Rondebosch Boys’ Preparatory School raised over R13 000 for the Chaeli Campaign. This annual fundraiser donates all proceeds raised from the Grade 6 plant sale to the Chaeli Campaign, a charitable organisation which provides motorised wheelchairs, occupational therapy, hearing aids and many other important equipment to the disabled. Sincere thanks to the parents, boys, staff and the Rondebosch community for supporting this initiative.

Teachers from different schools in the Western Cape enjoy participating in the dance performance - they lead by example.

Dance education

Let the dance begin! The Good Hope Centre in Cape Town was recently transformed into a sea of colourful costumes when between two thousand and three thousand children and 300 teachers displayed their moves at the annual Dance Festival.

articipants came from all over the province and ranged from children between 3 and 18 years old. The event, organised by the Western Cape Movement Education Association, in collaboration with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), is a fixture on the education calendar. Doreen Solomons, programme coordinator, said the association is a result of an international conference held in Cape Town in 1977. The International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women (IAPESGW) Conference introduced national dance to teachers, curriculum advisors and lecturers from the University of Cape Town. Solomons, until recently a Senior Curriculum Planner: Life Orientation at the WCED, said the programme offers a variety of dances to teachers which can be implemented in the Life Orientation programme. “It offers basic movement, rhythmical sequences, group dynamism and physical activities.” The fun-filled programme offers a variety of dances from across the world, physical fitness, assessment strategies and encourages participants to live a healthy, responsible and active lifestyle. Solomons said teachers can implement the programme in their school within the curriculum and as an extra curricular activity.

The work done by the Western Cape Movement Education Association has not gone by unnoticed. In 2006 the Association was a finalist in the Premier’s Awards. The previous year the association received international recognition in the form of the Audrey Bambra Award – the highest award for the development and excellence in dance as a form of communication – at the IAPESGW Conference in Canada.. “We are indeed proud and humbled that this programme had successes and applaud all the schools that have been part of this programme over the years”, Solomons said.

“May we always share the joy of participation, the joy of dance, the joy of excellence and the joy of achievement.”

“MAY WE ALWAYS SHARE THE JOY OF PARTICIPATION, THE JOY OF DANCE, THE JOY OF EXCELLENCE AND THE JOY OF ACHIEVEMENT.”

Grades 4 and 5 learners going through their paces while performing the folk dance, Aricuil, from Romania.

Grade 6 boys from Rondebosch Boys’ Prep School, Adam Mukuddem, Yaseen Alli and Yuseung Nam selling their wares in support of the Chaeli Campaign.

Guarding democracy LALLETTE MCGILLEWIE

The President’s State of the Nation Address in Parliament is one of the highlights on the South African calendar and learners from six schools shared in that moment. Muizenberg Junior School was been selected to be one of the 6 schools to form the Junior Guard of Honour at this auspicious occasion. On Tuesday, 2 June, 4 learners, Micaela Peter, Brandon-Lee Smith, Kirsty Diedericks and Jose Robinson, accompanied by their class educators were taken to Parliament to have a training session. The greatest challenge was the fact that there was rain forecast for the special day. We had to go through training for “dry procedure” as well as “wet procedure”. We were blown away by the generosity displayed by Parliament, both by the praise and affirmation heaped on everyone participating, as well as the food and gifts which were presented on the young people invited from all over the country to represent their schools and civic organisations. Wednesday, 3 June, the Great Day, dawned grey and wet with typical Western Cape winter rain, but this didn’t dampen the spirits of the 43 learners who climbed onto that bus at 6:30. Proudly wearing our smart uniforms, we were ushered into the hallowed halls of South Africa’s new democ-

racy to stand in the Junior Guard of Honour in the People’s Parliament. We lined up along the red carpet cheering the famous people we had only seen in photos or on TV. We were told to hold our flags up high, because if they were allowed to droop, it was a sign of defeat! Was this a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience? Yes, for most of us it was, but we are responsible for raising the next generation of politicians who can lead our country into a prosperous, stable era. We believe it is important to engender a sense of pride and patriotism for our wonderful country. This occasion was a great opportunity to put these beliefs into practice.

wcednews NOVEMBER 2009

sport

Pure gold

SACS’ super swimmer Pure gold. That’s the only way to describe the performance of Zaahir Gamiet, a Grade 8 learner at SACS, at the 8th African Junior Championships in Mauritius where he bagged nine gold medals.

at the Western Cape Sport School, won silver and two bronze medals at the Championships. When asked his opinion of the caliber of the SA junior swimmers, Swim SA CEO Shaun Adriaanse responded: “The excellent performances produced by our young swimmers at the African

Junior Championships in Mauritius is a sign of what van be achieved through commitment and hard work, and I have no doubt that these athletes will go on to become role models and household names across all communities of our sport-loving country.”

Ian Schoeman, head of swimming at SACS, said the school is proud to support Zaahir as he focuses on other milestones and they look forward to more from their star swimmer. “Zaahir has our very best wishes as he begins the road to the 2012 London Olympics.” WESSEL OOSTHUIZEN/SA SPORTS PICTURE AGENCY

aahir opened the SA gold medal takings on the first day of the championships with three medals for 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke and 200m freestyle. He set the bar high and broke the African Junior Championship Record with a new time of 2:01.66 in the 200m freestyle. On the second morning Zaahir achieved yet another championship record of 28.5s in the 50m backstroke. Zahier and provincial teammate Matthew Bowers, North West’s Hardus Louw and Eastern Province’s Akeem Langford also produced a Championship record time of 3:47.40 in the 4X100m freestyle relay in the 12 to 14 years category. Western Province’s Neil de Villiers posted a Championship record time of 2:11.35 in the 200m individual medley (15 to 16 years category). He also set an African Junior Championship record of 2:08.94 in the 200m backstroke. Zaahir and his SA team dominated the championships, on the final day setting two new Championship records, one for achieving a time of 54.72s in the 100m freestyle before returning to his relay team to clock a time of 4:10.69 in the 200m medley relay. Dean Wesso, a Grade 9 learner

The Cape Town Partnership , in a joint venture with the Dreamfields Project, recently held a Primary Schools Soccer Tournament in the Central City. A total of six girls’ and four boys’ teams took part in the tournament at Cape Town High School. The DreamfieldsProject, a not for profit company, works in partnership with the Department of Education and together they stage schools tournaments, DreamEvents, where DreamBags are handed out to all the schools in a particular town or district. Each DreamBag contains three soccer balls, 15 pairs of boots and 15 sets of kit, including numbered shirts, shorts and socks. Kit is supplied in the colour chosen by the school and boots provided according to sizes requested by the teacher in charge of the team.

VOLLEYBALL

Zaahir Gamiet won nine gold medals at the African Junior Championships in Mauritius and set several new championship records.

Sisters go for gold in gymnastics ears of hard work and dedication paid off for two sisters when they both won overall in their age groups and

TO 2010 AND BEYOND

won individual medals for excelling on the apparatus at the South African Gymnastics Championships in Pretoria.

Caitlin Tanner balances on the apparatus.

Emma-Leigh (12) and Caitlin Tanner (10) are learners at Springfield Convent Junior School. Emma-Leigh is in grade 6 and Caitlin in grade 4. Emma-Leigh won silver on beam and Caitlin getting gold on her floor and beam routines and bronze on vault. These results are a product of complete commitment, dedication and hours and hours of training, they train up to 11 hours a week. This is especially a huge achievement for Emma-Leigh as a year ago she had a bad accident at gymnastics - she not only dislocated her elbow but broke her arm as well. “Gymnastics is a disciplined sport and results are only achieved through hard work. This discipline

has helped with their school work as they have learnt to manage their time well to fit in their homework with their busy schedules,” said their mother, Liza Tanner. She said the girls have other interests and somehow find time to fit this into their already hectic schedule. “Caitlin’s other love is ballet and she is an excellent dancer, dancing at Cape Junior Ballet School at UCT twice week. There are days when she dances and then goes to gymnastics to train for 3 hours. “Emma-Leigh does modern dancing and has recently taken up tennis. The girls have the weekends off to rest but more often than not you will catch them on their trampoline or perfecting their routines, they never stop!”

The Western Cape Sport School volleyballers made a great impact for the SA Schools u17 team that participated in the COSASSA Games held in Swaziland during September. The boys helped Team SA to win gold whilst the girls team had to default the final whey they arrived late as a result of their bus having broken down. In the boys section Cheslyn Van Staden was named Best Defensive Player and Dean Layters received the Most Valued Player of the Tournament award. Christen Delcarme scooped two individual awards in the girls section when she was named Best Attacker and Most Valuable Player. The 2009 Volleyball South Africa Championship was a happy hunting ground for the school’s volleyballers. The WP Youth teams contained 18 players from the school (9 boys and 9 girls) and were captained by Dean Layters and Brittany Daniels. The female team were crowned champions and the Male team were runners-up. At the Awards Banquet several of the school’s learners were honoured with individual awards.

TABLE TENNIS Vivienne Jackson, a Grade 8 learner at the Western Cape Sport School, will represent South Africa at the Youth Olympics in Cairo, Egypt from 19 – 25 November.