Johnathan Paoli

THE Gauteng Education Department has confirmed the appointment of Seanego Attorneys as the law firm probing the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Siphamandla Peterson and Sibusiso Sibiya, from the Daveyton Skills School in Benoni.

Education MEC for Education Matome Chiloane visited the Peterson and Sibiya families, as well as the Daveyton Skills School, to introduce them to the investigators from the firm of attorneys.

“This is a credible law firm with a lot of experience, so we are confident that they will give us a report that is credible and assist the department to tighten and close the gaps [in information],” the MEC said.

The two boys were laid to rest at the Rabasotho Community Hall in Tembisa on Thursday morning, where Chiloane said there are people who have already been identified to be held accountable.

“We are bringing people from outside who cannot be contaminated by the politics in the department but to do their work ethically, with integrity and honesty,” Chiloane said during the funeral.

On Wednesday the MEC visited the Daveyton Skills School to learn more about the circumstances leading to the tragedy in the Hennops River, where it emerged that the camp, organised by non-governmental organisation Rising Stars Generation, was not sanctioned by the Education Department, nor were there teachers or lifeguards during the trip.

“It is alleged that, after activities had been concluded on Monday afternoon (April 15), one of the pupils suddenly ran towards a nearby river close to the campsite entrance. A second pupil followed, in an attempt to bring him back,” the MEC confirmed.

The learners drowned while at a discipline camp at Rock Falls Adventure Ranch in Centurion almost two weeks ago.

Lead investigator from the firm said the investigation would follow all the issues surrounding this case, including the circumstances surrounding the incident, the conduct of the school and the actions and liability of the department in relation to this case.

“We are committed to conducting this investigation in a thorough manner, and we are ready to commence our work on Monday. We will be seeing the families, the school governing bodies, the management team, officials in the department, the facilitators at the camp, and any other people that we think are of interest to our investigation,” he said.

The attorneys questioned whether the campsite at the Rock Falls Adventure Ranch in Centurion had insurance and the actions of the school management and principal and said the firm will hit the ground running on Monday, with planned interviews with the families of the deceased pupils, the school governing body, the school management team, department officials and facilitators at the camp, among others.

“We can confirm that we have accepted the terms of reference. As such, …we are committed to conducting this investigation in a thorough manner. We are ready to commence our work from Monday”.

Chiloane gave the law firm seven days to complete the investigation with a detailed report with findings and recommendations for implementation. expected on 6 May.

“As soon as the report is finalised, we will ensure that all recommendations are acted upon. In the event of delays, we will interact with the families and relevant stakeholders accordingly,” said Chiloane.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

Education NGOs Equal Education (EE) and the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) have returned to the Western Cape High Court in order to continue with their challenge to compel the Western Cape Education Department to enroll remaining unplaced children in available schools.

EE alongside five parents represented by the EELC were in court on Monday to have the matter put on the unopposed roll following the dismissal of its urgent application on Friday seeking the immediate placement of all unplaced learners in the Western Cape.

EE’s Nontsikele Dlulani said they were disappointed by the decision taken by the court and believe the Judge made an error.

Dlulani said that the court made an error of judgement in striking the matter off of the urgent court roll without having read their court papers or even giving their legal representatives an opportunity to address her on the urgency of the matter.

“While we have faced various hurdles, we trust that the High Court, as the upper guardian of every child in South Africa, will protect the rights of children who remain unplaced without access to basic education or remedial support while awaiting placement. We are hopeful that it will recognise that children remaining without a school, four months into the 2024 academic year, is an urgent matter,” Dlulani said.

EE said that its decision to litigate followed a series of attempts to engage the WC government on placing out-of-school learners, with efforts allegedly being met with indifferent responses, “legal gymnastics” and “Stalingrad litigation tactics”.

The NGO confirmed that today’s appearance in court for placement on the unopposed urgent roll was also to urge the provincial education department to put remedial catch-up plans in place and to provide a detailed report on the reasons for the continuous non-placement as well how an admissions crisis could be dealt with in the future.

The Western Cape Education Department said that it is ready to help find schools for unplaced pupils as the current school year nears its fifth month, with WC Provincial MEC for Education, David Maynier defending the department and saying it is disappointed by the group’s approach.

“We are currently resolving remaining cases where Equal Education initially provided us with insufficient information to identify and place the learners,” Maynier said.

The MEC said that wherever the department was made aware of learners needing a place, it acted immediately to find a place for them in a school and to resolve any issues that may arise in the process.

The court questioned why the matter was placed on the urgent roll when the legal teams for Equal Education had placed a note saying if the WCED’s counsel had not responded by April 25, they would place the matter on the unopposed roll.

The WCED’s legal team said as they had responded the matter should be moved off the urgent roll and the court agreed.

Meanwhile, the WCED has reopened online admissions for Grades 1 and 8 learners for the 2025 academic year because they have received over 8 000 late applications.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Edwin Naidu

Equal Education’s Head of Research, Elizabeth Biney, says Basic Education in 2024 – 30 years after democracy – has made significant progress.

“Primarily in the areas of redress or reform, the racialised apartheid education that we inherited has morphed into a more encompassing or constitutionally sound sector. We have succeeded greatly in expanding access to schooling, especially at the primary level, where there’s near-universal attendance,” she says.

However, because schooling is made compulsory, the second level of education may need improvement. But it is comparable to most other countries, Biney says. “So, we are not doing too badly there either. Regarding redress and access, we are doing quite well; in some areas, we will surpass expectations.

She adds, “But the system and sector struggles and challenges have more to do with quality than numbers or country.”

Biney reckons that in the democratic era, South Africa invested more of its Gross Domestic Product in schooling than most countries with similar wealth levels.

“But the problem is that we have not seen that so-called investment yield returns, so the quality is not reflected in that kind of story, that linear story that if you spend money, you will get better quality or things will improve. And this is because there are inherent challenges. So the assumption is that there are hiccups from apartheid that we are struggling to undo or overcome, and then there are emerging issues or challenges,” says Biney.

She says the challenges mainly concern leadership and politics, so infrastructure is a significant component that requires focus.

“But the issue is that there are still inequalities within the system; even though we have the one education system, it is also technically still a dual-system approach because of the disparities”.

She says there is now a unified system on paper, but it is two. One was given to a sector catering to the privileged and the affluent.

“Then there is a system for predominantly majority black, marginalised, under-resourced, and so because of the inherent inequalities, we are struggling,” she says.

“We see that even when there’s progress in outcomes, it has a specific feature. It is almost always of a particular class, colour setting, political, or geographical place. Then, provinces, rural learners, and rural school communities are disadvantaged.

“Purely because the design has changed, we are making progress, but there is still a problem at the systemic or foundational level, and we are struggling.

“We are seemingly unable to connect it, so you will see this inequality reflected in learning outcomes and completion rates.”

Biney says this can be seen by the quality of the qualifications learners obtain. “Even if you get the kind of learners who get your so-called bachelor passes to pursue higher education, those challenges persist.

“An example of inequality is dealing with it through an infrastructure lens. You see that there is no teacher, all your problematic things, your pit toilets, your water, your crumbling school buildings, there are all these other challenges which are predominantly in certain places, and those places cater for black children mostly. The system is under-resourced”.

Biney says when these problems are highlighted, the government is seen as not treating them with the urgency they deserve.

“It is a very laissez-faire approach. When we talk about funding, the country spends so much on education, but even that money is insufficient because of the many challenges and main issues we must address. Every problem in the sector essentially becomes a money problem because it takes money to solve most of the issues,” she says.

She says one must consider spending practices and financial misconduct in the primary education sector, which compounded or added to the problem because the little money spent was used “badly.”

“We are losing much money earmarked for education to corruption and irregular and wasteful practices. And that essentially denies learners their right to that quality education we promise them in the Constitution,” Biney adds.

She says while some blame it on a system, it is also political. Both cannot be addressed in isolation.

“We are also mindful, or we know we are not oblivious to, the kind of interventions we ask the government to do. It is intense, but it is doable. If we have the right political will and disposition to make a concerted effort, we are going to do this, and we are going to do it right. And we can win the war,” she says.

Biney says South Africa is great on policies, but it’s Achilles Heel remains delivery, with an alarming lack of oversight and consequences when things go wrong.

“The winners or losers of this story are the learners because they are caught in the middle and pay the price. Every government failure is a punishment or harm to the learners because either their rights are being denied, or they have to work or overcompensate to close a gap caused by the lack of service delivery,” she says.

Biney says real systemic challenges must be explained, but reform takes time and investment in energy and resources. “But for that to work, we need to acknowledge it, agree, be intentional about it, and work towards it.”

Biney says the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, cannot be immune from blame for not doing enough.

“She has been in office since 2009, the longest-serving education head in the country; we must ask whether there has been progress in the sector until now. Is it considerable and sufficient, given her time in that leadership position and the mandate she was given when that position was created? For instance, it’s important to highlight the successes and failures of our democracy and its promises,” she concludes.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, has launched the Labour Market Intelligence Research Reports on Skills Needs for the Economy.

Several of these reports are pivotal for understanding skills supply and demand in South Africa. These include the following:

The List of Occupations in High Demand lists occupations in high demand in South Africa. This list is intended to support enrolment planning at our PSET institutions, resource prioritisation (as in the allocation of funds for bursaries), career information and qualifications development;

The report on the Critical Skills List identifies occupational shortages in South Africa. The Department of Home Affairs uses it to inform the implementation of its Critical Skills Visa regime.

The report on Skills Gaps in South Africa identified skills gaps in the labour market, such as foundational, technical, and soft skills. This assessment considers all the skills that will be required across all segments of the emerging green hydrogen value chain. It also includes the identification of skills gaps and possible interventions to bridge them so that the country can participate in the global hydrogen economy.

Thus far, the project has identified 138 occupations required within the value chain, categorised into engineers, technicians, tradespersons, specialists, managerial occupations, and elementary-level occupations.

“Many of these occupations currently exist in our economy, but some will require top-up skills or new qualifications in order to include green hydrogen capabilities,” the Minister said.

He added that the most required capabilities include hydrogen properties, behaviour and potential hazards created safety when working with or around hydrogen, knowledge of hydrogen-related regulations, standards, and codes, and understanding of electrochemical reactions, processes, and hydrogen production processes.

The report further highlights 27 occupational qualifications currently offered by various training providers and funded by our SETAs (particularly CHIETA and EWSETA) linked to the 39 technicians and tradespersons’ occupations identified as critical for the hydrogen economy.

However, these occupational qualifications currently do not include hydrogen-specific capabilities and must be augmented to address the gaps.

The hydrogen report also identified areas requiring augmentation in TVET and University Curricula and reflected on the need for capacitating teachers and lecturers so that they can train South Africa’s green hydrogen workforce for the many occupations identified in the project.

The report discusses some interventions that could be used to ‘train the trainers.’ It also includes an assessment of workplace-based learning (WBL) opportunities available in South Africa and internationally for green hydrogen–related work.

This assessment highlights that, in contrast to developed countries such as Germany and due to the sector’s nascence in South Africa, there are limited opportunities available for green hydrogen-specific WBL in the country.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

TuksSport recently hosted a brunch on Hillcrest campus at the University of Pretoria (UP) in honour of #WomenInSport. Reputable athletes and UP alumni were in attendance, such as rugby star Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Springbok Women and Provincial Player of the Year 2023; Jenny van Dyk, coach of the Spar Proteas netball team; and Vannes-Marie du Toit, a former TuksNetball and Proteas player.

“We are gathered today not only to celebrate athleticism but also to honour the profound impact of women in the world of sport who possess strength, resilience and determination,” said SuperSport broadcaster Layla Arrison during her welcome remarks. “As we break bread together, let’s also break barriers and work towards a future where every young girl’s dream of sporting greatness is not just a possibility but an inevitability.”

Asked about some of the challenges faced by women in sport, Janse van Rensburg noted that the biggest one – apart from financial support –was the state of women’s rugby at grassroots level.

“Unfortunately, it’s not like other sports where girls are playing it at school,” she said. “Young girls aren’t really introduced to rugby at a young age. At the moment, many women rugby players are experiencing rugby for the first time at university level, unlike men, who have been taking the knock from an early age. However, the future of rugby as a sport for women looks bright. As athletes, we have to work harder to introduce rugby at earlier stages for young girls.”

Relaying her story of how she had made the national netball team, Du Toit recalled that at the time, the only gateway to play for the nationals was through university.

“You had to play for a university because there weren’t independent clubs that could get you there, and I wanted to represent my country,” she said. “I am grateful to UP for the academic bursary that assisted with my BCom degree and resulted in me joining the amazing TuksNetball team. UP gave me the foundation and a platform to launch my career in sport. I will be forever grateful for that.”

On student athletes balancing their studies with sport, Nicola Macleod, TuksSport Deputy Director of coaching and performance, said that UP’s High Performance Centre tries to impress upon students the importance of maintaining this balance.

“At the end of the day, we want them to walk across that graduation stage, having conquered the balance between sport and academia,” she said.

Macleod added that they work with faculties and departments, and help student athletes with the balance because they take a lot of strain from training and tournaments.

“It’s important to balance schoolwork and sport,” emphasised coach Van Dyk. “It’s also important to have a strong support structure – friends and family who believe in you and push you to be great. The mental part is important and it goes hand in hand with discipline; if you lack discipline, it is going to be hard to wake up for that 6am session. As coaches, we need to be understanding and encourage our student athletes.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

THE Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has announced the 17th South African Sports Awards (SASA) edition. This year’s awards are themed “Celebrating 30 years of freedom through sporting excellence”. The #SASA17Edition is scheduled for Sunday, 5th May 2024, at the Sun City Superbowl, North-West.

The 30th anniversary of celebrating freedom and democracy through sporting excellence has positioned South Africa on a global stage as a Winning Nation across all sporting disciplines. The three decades of the nation’s sporting journey have seen history-making achievements, from the dismantling of apartheid through negotiations and reconciliation to the establishment of a constitutional democracy founded on the principles of equality, justice, and human rights.

Over the past 30 years, South Africa has achieved more through sport than almost any other area. South African Sports were excluded from the international sporting scene during the apartheid era and only started to compete at the beginning of our democracy. However, our nation’s sportsmen and sportswomen, from all walks of life, united on and off the field to foster a sporting culture within South Africa that pushes the nation to join in its diversity. South African sport has played a pivotal role in influencing the country to be a Rainbow Nation and in making each South African proud of their flag.

With the hashtag #IzinjaZegame / #SASA17Edition, this year’s awards have 19 categories, including Sports Star of the Year, People’s Choice, and Journalist of the Year. All categories recognise performances from individuals, teams, and administrators in the SA sporting landscape for the period under review (i.e., 01 September 2022 – 31 August 2023).

Minister Zizi Kodwa says, “The 17th edition of the South African Sports Awards is significant in South Africa’s history. We celebrate 30 years of democracy, and our national athletes and teams have raised the nation’s flag sky-high. In the South African Sports Awards, we celebrate the role sport continues to play in uniting our diverse people and lifting the nation’s mood.”

The Minister adds, “South African sport is enjoying unprecedented success. Our athletes and sports teams have made us all so proud with their performances. I congratulate all the nominees for the 17th edition of the South African Sport Awards.”

The #SASA17Edition / #IzinjaZegame Nominees and categories are listed as follows:

SPORT ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

Mark Alexander

Sibongile Fondini

Louis Polome

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

Kisten Neuschafer

Tatjana Smith

Laura Wolvaardt

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

Andrew Birkett

Eben Etzebeth

Sivenathi Nontshinga

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR WITH A DISABILITY

Mpumelelo Mhlongo

Donald Tebogo Ramphadi

David Watts

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR WITH A DISABILITY

Simone Kruger

Kat Swanepoel

Kgothatso Montjane

COACH OF THE YEAR

Jacques Nienaber

Rocco Meiring

Jason Sewanyana

SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Khanyiso Tshwaku

Sihle Ndebele

Vaylen Kirtley

SPORT PHOTO OR VISUAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Samuel Shivambo

Vincent Matlou (Vino Snap)

Kirsten Olivier

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Gerald Coetzee

Manie Libbok

Karabo Cassius Morapedi

Elanza Jordaan”

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Hubert Oliphant

Beka Ntsangwese

Zelma Basson

SPORTS STAR OF THE YEAR

Siyamthanda Siya Kolisi

Tatjana Smith

Simone Kruger

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Springbok

T20 Women Cricket team

Sheep shearing

FEDERATION OF THE YEAR

South African Rugby Union

Cricket South Africa

Cycling South Africa

RECREATION BODY OF THE YEAR

Amandal WC

Vakhegula-Vakhegula

Made 4 More

INDIGENOUS GAME TEAM

KZN Kho-Kho Male Team

LP Nvuca Team

GP Diketo Team

SCHOOL TEAM OF THE YEAR

Hoer Lanbouskool Oakdale – Tug of War 560kg Men

Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool – netball

Clapham High School – football

DEVELOPING SCHOOL OF THE YEAR

Edendale Technical High School -under 15 girls – Sihle Basi sportchairpern

MM Sebitloane Special School – Mr. Bitso

Hlabi School

Technical Official of the Year

Sean Rapaport

Reinet Barnard

Aimee Barrett-Theron

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Nominees (this category Sport fans are encouraged to participate by voting for their athlete of choice by SMS 120*32020# followed by an alphabet representing their athlete of choice. The nominees are:

A: Eben Etzebeth

B: Gerda Steyn

C: Siyamthanda “Siya” Kolisi

D: Percy Tau

E: Kirsten Neuschafer

For more info, kindly visit www.dsac.gov.za / @SA_Sport_Awards / @sasportawards

INSIDE EDUCATION

Inside Education Reporter

South Africa celebrates 30 Years of Freedom and Democracy, the 6th Administration of Government is ending but five years still remain to reach the 2030 targets set by the National Development Plan (NDP).

The Basic Education Sector has reviewed the strides captured in the “Highlights of the achievements of the 6th Administration,” compiled by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME).

Curriculum Transformation

To respond to an ever-changing economy and to better prepare learners for the future, the country has introduced a curriculum that equips learners with Skills and Competencies for a Changing World.

The new curriculum offerings include Coding and Robotics, 11 new Technical Subjects, and new Technical Subject Specialisations: Civil Technology (Civil Services, Construction, and woodworking); Mechanical Technology (Automotive, Welding, fitting, and Machining); Electrical Technology (Power Systems, Electronics, and digital Systems); and Technical Mathematics, Technical Sciences, and Marine Sciences.

However, the government still needs to do this, and it is currently working to introduce the Aviation and Aerospace Curriculum, Mining Studies Curriculum, and Aquaponics Curriculum to equip learners with the skills they need to thrive in the ever-changing economy.

The Entrepreneurship Framework is also being implemented in many schools to prepare young people for entrepreneurship, employment, and employability. The government wants to see many young people acquire entrepreneurship, employment, and employability knowledge and skills.

Early Childhood Development increases access

One of the major achievements of the 6th Administration was the transfer of Early Childhood Development (ECD) coordination from the Department of Social Development to Basic Education. The formal proclamation came into effect in April 2022, supporting the NDP identification of ECD as central to building human capabilities whilst equalising opportunities for all its children.

Not only has the coordination role been transferred, but to lay a solid foundation for ECD in the future, a census of ECD programmes was conducted in 2021, collecting data on 42,420 ECD programmes serving 1.66 million children across the country. In addition, the first-ever Thrive by Five national study established the extent to which young learners are developing on track by age 5.

This will assist the DBE in monitoring progress in the developmental outcomes of our young learners as new programmatic support is rolled out within the newly reconstructed ECD system. While this recasting of ECD is taking place, it is essential to note the progress made by the democratic government. For example, the percentage of 5-year-olds attending institutions has increased from about 40% in 2002 to almost 90%.

The DBE is now making every effort to increase participation through, for instance, a mass registration drive for ECD programmes. Quality improvement initiatives are being introduced, including a new ECD Infrastructure Strategy, curriculum support materials, and new practitioner training and support forms.

Instead of dropout, retaining more learners in school throughout the pandemic

During the 6th Administration, Basic Education faced unprecedented disruption through the COVID-19 pandemic. The extended school closures caused by the national lockdowns led to fears of an increase in dropping out of school.

However, a combination of measures saw the participation rates amongst 16-18-year-olds (where dropout mainly occurs) increase in 2020 and 2021. These measures included new health and safety protocols for operating schools during the pandemic, efforts to keep the National School Nutrition Programme going, implementing trimmed Annual Teaching Plans to allow curriculum coverage within a shortened school year, and changes to grade repetition policies.

Lower grade repetition meant more learners progressing into Grade 12 and writing the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations. Ultimately, the number of NSC and Batchelor-level passes was higher than ever.

More High-Level National School Certificate (NSC) outcomes than ever before, especially among female learners

Not only have more young people reached Grade 12 and achieved an NCS pass in recent years, but the number of high-level NSC achievers has been higher than ever before during the 6th Administration.

The number of Bachelor-level passes has tripled since 2008. Moreover, the share of Bachelor-level passes coming from no-fee schools has increased from only one-third of all Bachelor-level passes to about two-thirds of all Bachelor-level passes.

Similarly, the MTSF for the number of NSC candidates scoring more than 60% in mathematics and science has now been achieved thanks to strong increases in 2023. It is also encouraging that the gender gap in high-level mathematics and science achievement has now been closed.

In previous years, there were always more male learners achieving 60% or more in these subjects, but in the last two years, the number of female learners achieving 60% or more has caught up to and surpassed that of male learners.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

THE Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation has confirmed that the Trinity International Bible University, which recently awarded actor Sello Maake kaNcube an honorary doctorate, is not a registered private higher education institution.

In a statement released on Sunday, Higher Education spokesperson Veli Mbele said the university is not registered and was not authorised to offer any qualifications, including honorary degrees.

The Department confirmed that it became aware of the irregularities after Maake kaNcube posted pictures on his social media, celebrating his qualification from the university.

The university has previously awarded qualifications to prominent figures including gospel singer Winnie Mashaba and businesswoman Shawn Mkhize.

Mbele said that the department had warned the institution before about continuing to operate illegally and for the need to regularise its operations.

In addition, the spokesperson said that the department wrote to the Council on Higher Education (CHE) for guidance on how honorary qualifications should be offered and by who.

Mbele said the department had nothing against the university or the celebrities honoured, but that it was concerned by the persistent disregard for the departmental regulations by the university management.

He said that the department was considering more comprehensive and decisive action against the university and all other individuals and institutions who continued to act illegally.

Mbele said that while it was willing to engage with the institutions and the celebrities who have been awarded degrees, standards had to be maintained.

“As the Department of Higher Education and Training, we have a legal responsibility to protect the integrity of our qualifications and that of our post school education and training system,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has maintained that her department has steadily been improving services and was currently engaged in appointing teachers, despite claims to the contrary with over 31 000 vacancies at public schools across the country.

Minister Motshekga was replying to a parliamentary questions by Members of Parliament from the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday, who inquired about the lack of educators within public schools, the department’s plan to ensure the safety of learners and staff and the alleged increase in dropout rates across schools within the country.

Motshekga confirmed that the number of vacant teacher posts in the country’s state schools has increased by 28% in the past three years, from more than 24,000 in 2021 to more than 31,000 in 2024.

The Minister said KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape have the highest number of vacancies, but that the department was filling the posts in an ongoing process.

Motshekga said that the department has allowed schools to appoint temporary teachers in an attempt to speedily address the immediate crisis.

DA Shadow Deputy Basic Education Minister Marina Van Zyl said crime statistics indicated there were seven murders, 24 attempted murders and 252 cases of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm committed on educational premises between October and December last year.

The Minister said in reply, the national and provincial departments have continued to implement the National School Safety Framework (NSSF) as a guiding framework in addressing all forms of violent incidents in schools, including drug abuse.

“The NSSF empowers schools to identify and manage all safety threats, and establish school safety committees comprising stakeholders such as teachers, police officers, school governing body members and learner representative council members,” Motshekga said.

She said that her department was working hard to ensure that access control measures in schools were strengthened and awareness programmes on social ills by partner departments and civil society organisations were implemented.

Motshekga indicated that the department continued to implement the life skills and life orientation curriculum in classrooms, which was the main lever for preventing violence in schools among learners and highlighted the development of a protocol for management and reporting of sexual abuse and harassment.

“This protocol sets out an approach that enables educators and employees of the Department of Basic Education to identify, intervene, report and provide support to all learners who are abused or harassed in school,” the minister said.

The DA’s Shadow Minister of Education Baxolile Nodada inquired about measures the department had put in place to monitor and stop learners being held back and/or coerced to dropout, due to fears that their failure would influence the matric pass rate.

However, the minister denied the claim and said not only was there no such policy or action, but that the department’s analysis indicated that dropout rates had been steadily declining over the years.

Motshekga said during 2020 and 2021, school participation improved despite concerns about the potential impact of the pandemic-related disruptions on drop out rates.

“It is therefore difficult to answer a question about how the department responded to an increase in dropout when in fact there has been no increase in dropping out,” Motshekga concluded.

Many have questioned the department’s  decision to appoint teacher’s assistants with no education background as temporary teachers, in light of the growing number of unemployed education graduates in the sector. 

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane is outraged at the irregularities surrounding the tragic death of two pupils from the Daveyton Skills School while on an extramural trip and said disciplinary measures have commenced for those responsible.

Chiloane and officials from the Gauteng Department of Education visited the school in Benoni on Wednesday on what it referred to as a fact-finding mission in order to uncover the circumstances that led to the unfortunate tragedy.

Two boy pupils, aged 13 and 16, drowned during a discipline camp at the Rock Falls Adventure Ranch in Centurion on Monday, with initial reports suggesting the trip was organised by a non-profit organisation (NPO).

The MEC confirmed that the trip was not approved by the district, that no teachers were present, and that only one social worker was supervising and was responsible for 90 learners.

Chiloane said that it was alarming that hardly any safety protocols were observed in organising the trip for the learners and that those implicated will be suspended from Wednesday.

“Educators have been given guidelines for excursions. It’s concerning that these seem to be ignored. I still don’t understand why you wouldn’t ensure there are lifeguards near bodies of water on these trips. I urge everyone involved in organising them to take necessary precautions and prioritise our children’s safety,” the MEC said.

The MEC expressed his condolences about the tragic event on Monday and said that the Department’s Psycho-Social Support Unit will be dispatched to the school to provide the necessary trauma support and counseling.

“We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate deaths of our learners during a school excursion. On behalf of the Department, we wish to extend our sincerest condolences to their respective families and the Daveyton Skills School community,” Chiloane said.

Chiloane confirmed that the department has appointed an independent law firm to spearhead the investigation into the tragic event.

“We will institute an independent law firm, and that law firm will assist us to get the bottom of the matter,” the MEC added.

INSIDE EDUCATION