Enhancing Education's Role in Economic Growth: Insights from ASGI-SA Initiatives

1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ASGI-SA Presentation to PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

2. Overview of presentation • Education and the economy • Education provision and contribution to accelerated and shared growth • Special ASGI-SA projects

3. Education and the Economy • Studies across the world and in South Africa indicate that increased levels of education support economic growth and reduce poverty and unemployment • South Africa needs to accelerate access to quality education at all levels of the education and training system • ECD, General Education, Further Education and Higher Education

4. Current provision

6. Grade 12 Enrolment, writing and passing 2001 - 2005

7. Early Childhood Development • Goal to expand and improve early childhood care and education especially for most disadvantaged • Gross enrolment is the main indicator

8. ECD(0 - 4 years): an integrated approach • Interdepartmental committee established • Facilitates provision of services for 0 -4 year olds • National Integrated Plan developed • Plan demarcates roles of different departments • DoE responsible for programme content, teacher training and payment of stipends

9. Grade R • Expand access to all five year olds by 2010 • Improve quality through provision of • training of teachers • equipment • food, nutrition and safe environments

10. General Education • Universal enrolment from Grade 1 to Grade 9 • Need to improve quality of teaching and learning • The National Curriculum Statement aims to do this • Need to accelerate initiatives aimed at improving quality provision: infrastructure, equipment and books, health, safety and teaching especially reading, writing and calculating.

11. WHAT IS THE NCS? • Nationally set curriculum • Internationally benchmarked • Modern: 21st Century skills • Focus on Africa and South Africa • Grades R-9: 8 Learning Areas • Grounding for Grades 10-12 • Grades 10-12: 29 Subjects • Introduction of NCS Grades 10-12: 2006–2008 • All 29 subjects nationally examined in 2008 • Exit with a National Senior Certificate

12. FET – Grades 10 –12 • High levels of enrolment in Grade 10 and then reduction in Grade 11 numbers and again in Grade 12 • Need to retain more learners in Grade 11 and 12 and improve quality of learning outcomes • The National Curriculum sets the benchmarks • Need to accelerate quality provision through infrastructure, equipment, books and high quality teaching

13. FET Colleges • Huge increase in enrolment over the last five years • Race and gender profile of learners has changed • Need to accelerate enrolment and improve quality of programmes offered • Re-capitalisation aims to spend R1,9 billion on infrastructure, equipment, lecturers and administrative systems to deliver new programmes that address the needs of the economy

14. Higher Education • Current system has expended the numbers enrolled and substantially changed profile of students • Plans in place to accelerate access and quality through • Enrolment planning, • Quality assurance reviews and NSFAS

15. ASGI-SA Special Projects 1 QIDS- UP • Many of our schools do not have the basic requirements for provision of quality education • Schools from poorest quintile will be selected to provide improved infrastructure, basic equipment, reading books and improved teaching and learning outcomes

16. ASGI-SA Special Project 2 Dinaledi Schools • Goal is to accelerate higher grade maths and science passes in Grade 12 especially among African learners from 25 000 in 2005 to 50 000 in 2008 • 400 Dinaledi schools have been chosen to drive this initiative – the number will increase • Additional resources and support for teacher and learners will be provided in 2006, 2007 and 2008

17. ASGI-SA Special Project 3 Re-capitalisation of FET Colleges • Phase out outdated programmes over 2007 - 2009 and introduce new programmes that meet the needs of the economy • Accelerate access to these programmes through provision of modern infrastructure, IT, equipment and new funding formula

18. Priority Skills Programmes for SA • Determine relevant skills / vocational programmes • Determine sectors for programmes • Determine modalities for offering programmes

19. Relevant vocational education 1 • Good communication skills and problem solving skills • Information technology Skills • Translates into reading, wrting, calculating High levelsof reading writnbg and and IT = fundamentals

20. Relevant vocational education 2 13 sectors chosen according to priority skills needs and needs of ASGI-SA • Five engineering • Four business (finance, office admin, management, marketing) • IT • Agriculture • Tourism and Hospitality Studies

21. Conclusion • ASGI-SA dedicated skills initiative • Sustainability depends on a global view • Solid, quality foundations (General Education) • Appropriate high level skills • Vibrant HE sector to ensure knowledge production and new generation of teachers and oher professionals