MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFING WEEK: AGENDA 97, 10 FEBRUARY 1997

1. CULTURE OF LEARNlNG AND TEACHING CAMPAIGN

The Ministerial campaign to restore a culture of teaching and learning deals with almost every aspect of the Department's activities. This is a priority second to none in our mission of educational renewal. It will bring urgency, profile and public interest and participation to our effort to improve the environment for learning and teaching in our schools.

This campaign which has both promotional and programmatic elements will be launched by the President in Gauteng on the 20th February 1997. The Departmental undertake responsibility for the promotional aspects through its communications services, and will make special use of its educational broadcasting project, with the SABC which we will launch on the 27th February 1997.

2. TRANSFORMING THE CURRICULUM

ACTIVITIES

The public launch of Curriculum 2005 will take place on the 24 March here in Cape town. Further details will be made available in due course. Here are some of the activities that will follow the launch:

• Continuing the development of learning area outcomes and learning materials for general and further education.
• Piloting the frameworks for grades 1 and 7 with a view to implementing them during 1998.
• Preparing teachers for the implementation of the curriculum through intensive in-service training.
• Developing quality assurance mechanisms with specific reference to assessment, examinations and certification.

3. TRANSFORMING THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR

ACTIVITIES

• Finalising policy on a transformed higher education sector. (Receive and process comments on Green Paper, prepare a White Paper, obtain Cabinet approval, and prepare higher education legislation for passage through this seating).
• Strengthening the Branch: Higher Education in the Department.
• Facilitating the transformation process in higher education institutions.
• Maintaining an effective national student financial aid scheme and investigating a multi-faceted approach to student financial aid for a sustainable long term scheme.

4. IMPLEMENTING THE SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS ACT NO, 84 OF 1996

ACTIVITIES

• Developing a strategy for the implementation of the provisions of the Act and working with provincial departments to ensure full implementation by the end 1997.
• Creating public awareness about the provisions of the Act and implications thereof.
• Finalising the position of employment of education through the Education Labour Relations Council.
• Developing national norms for funding public schools and subsidising independent schools.

5. FINALISING FURTHER EDUCATION POLICY

ACTIVITIES

• Receiving and consulting on the report on Further Education and Training from the Task Team.
• Developing government policy on the sector.

6 TRANSFORMATION OF THE DEPARTMENT

ACTIVITIES

• Implementing the corporate plan, new logo, open office layout and redesign of the building. We will publicly launch this process in March this year
• Finalising and implementing a new structure for the department.
• Finalising and further implementing the policy of representivity in the Department.
• Implementing the information technology review.
• Implementing the administrative review of the Department.
• Establishing a transformed and strengthened communication service.
• Implementing departmental human resource development programmes, including personal exchange programmes with the Australian public service, further management training programme, branch and directorate workshops, etc.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT LINCOLN MALI AT (021) 457 350 or 0832514044

Issued by: Ministry of Education