Minister Motshekga drops targets for Basic Education
In the Department of Basic Education's Annual Performance Plan for 2013/14, tabled in Parliament this past week, Minister Angie Motshekga has dropped almost every single target that relates directly to the quality of education.
If the Department continues with this plan, the only target that we can measure performance against will be the matric pass rate. In a country which is underperforming in educational outcomes, this latest move is unacceptable and will undermine the delivery of quality education to learners, especially in impoverished communities.
The Democratic Alliance will raise these blatant omissions with the Department of Basic Education when they come before the Portfolio Committee next week. We will seek assurances that targets for achieving quality education are once again reinstated so that we, as Members of Parliament, can properly ensure that the Department is held to account and improves its delivery of services to all South Africans.
|
ASPECT - NO TARGET SET 2013/14 |
2012/2013 TARGET |
Reality |
|
Percentage of schools with a very basic level of school infrastructure |
92% |
Estimated at 77% in 2011; actual measured at 55% in school monitoring survey in 2011 |
|
Percentage of schools having access to library information service |
60% |
Determined at 21% in 2011 |
|
Percentage of learners with a textbook for each subject |
85% |
No information on actual penetration rate |
|
Number of learners who have received workbooks |
10.3 million |
This has changed to being measured versus the order placed in the province. Why not by percentage of learners with their own workbooks per subject? |
|
Percentage of Grade 3 learners performing at the required numeracy and literacy levels |
55% for both |
ACTUAL in 2012: 41% for numeracy; 52% for literacy |
|
Percentage of Grade 6 learners performing at the required mathematics and language levels |
44% for Maths |
ACTUAL in 2012: 41% for mathematics; 43% for language |
|
Percentage of Grade 9 learners performing at the required mathematics and language levels |
Indicated as "to be determined" |
ACTUAL in 2012: 43% for language; 13% for mathematics |
|
Number of Grade 12 learners passing mathematics |
169 000 |
ACTUAL in 2012: 121 970 |
|
Number of Grade 12 learners passing physical science |
160 000 |
ACTUAL in 2012: 109 918 |
|
Increase in the number of Grade 12 learners who become eligible for a Bachelor's programme at university |
149 000 |
ACTUAL in 2012: 15 280 |
The question must be why the Minister has decided to scrap these targets in the first place. Is it that the Department does not want to be held accountable if they are not properly achieved?
If we consider the achievements of previously set out targets, it is clear that the Department has found it difficult to meet its objectives.
Statement issued by Annette Lovemore MP, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, March 20 2013
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