The matric is a matter of very high public interest. It is the only available, yet crude measure of the performance of learners and of the education system. It is a gateway to higher education and it continues to be an important signaling device to employers.

The challenge faced by the Department is therefore to strengthen the credibility, validity and reliability of this public examination while it modernises curriculae and prepares the system for a new Further Education and Training Certificate. During 1998 we undertook the following actions:

• Held a national workshop of all stakeholders at which a national framework targeting a minimum of 5% - 10% improvement in the pass rates was designed.
• Provincial Departments implemented a range of specific programmes which included:

• Workshops for teachers by examiners
• Assistance in examination techniques to educators and learners
• Special guidelines in selected subjects
• Specific workshops in maths and science
• Development of implementable remedial projects
• Quarterly and Trial Examinations
• Sharing of experiences and resources in school clusters
• Winter, Spring and Saturday Schools
• Social Contracts

What did we achieve?

• Improved overall results
• Improved administration, in particular, and for the first time in its history, there was no theft of a single senior certificate examination paper, despite its scale and complexity.
• Seven of the nine provinces showed an improvement in pass rate
• The 3 larger provinces, i.e. KZN, Northern Province and Eastern Cape comprising of 55% of the candidates, have a collective pass rate of 43%, whilst the other 6 provinces comprising 45% of the candidates have a collective pass rate of 60%
• High pass rate in official languages i.e. above 88%
• Pass rate in a number of subjects has improved, e.g. Biology, History and Physical Science
• A new focus on the performance and accountability of teachers, principals, schools and school districts.

And what did we learn?

• A large percentage of candidates enter for university endorsement (i.e. 74,3%) but only 17,5% are successful.
• Technical subjects still offered by a small percentage of candidates
• Gender differentiation in the performance of candidates, i.e. males performed better than females.

What actions will we undertake during 1999 in relation to continue improving the performance of Grade 12’s?

• A follow-up national workshop to review and critique provincial improvement plans, and to draft new ones, with tighter monitoring of these by the Departments
• Focussed support for districts and schools with low pass rates (below 20%, and 0%).
• Qualitative analysis of the Senior Certificate Examination, question papers and answers so as to improve the curriculum, teaching and learning process.
• Standardisation of language assessment at Senior Certificate level, with focus on cognitive abilities of learners.
• Provide support to SAFCERT focussed on strengthening it s moderating, analytical and procedural capabilities
• Institutionalise school, district moderated trial examinations.

And in relation to reform of the examination?

• Review and modernise 10 subjects taken 90% of all learners, and all practical subjects, ahead of phased introduction of the new curriculum
• Review and introduce changes to our Youth/Community College Programme that offers learning opportunities for our youth outside of school education.

We will give a higher public profile to the successful administration of this examination system which is run nationally on 5 different occasions during any year, and the performance of the learners, colleges and this part of the system.

And what about quality improvements lower down in the school system?

• Despite public concerns with the Senior Certificate Examination, we will continue our efforts to introduce basic qualitative improvements within the education and training system, and we will design and plan the introduction of the new public examination at the end of Grade 9 which leads to the GETC
• Field test the new systemic evaluation of learner cognitive development at the end of Grades 3, for introduction in the year 2000, which will provide an earlier indicator of learner and system performance, and information on how and where to improve performance.
• Document and publicise ‘norms on effective learning and teaching’, including on matters such as time on task for learners and homework, quality teaching, and minimum workloads for teachers to be enforced through teacher appraisals
• Provide specific management training for school and college principals
• Create a school culture / community ethos to promote and support effective teaching and learning, and
• Raise the level of accountability of all role players.

The Department will therefore focus on ensuring that every teacher in the system abides by the Job-Description and adheres to the workload specifications of the agreements we signed with teacher organisations at the end of last year.

SACE will also be focusing on popularising its code of conduct, and encouraging the public at large to use it and to hold teachers accountable in that regard.

We are also going to empower the principals to use the provisions of the legislation dealing with misconduct and incapacity to deal with those few teachers that will not see it fit to conduct themselves in an accountable manner. We will ensure that action is taken against all ill-disciplined teachers and officers.

All this is dependent on a partnership between us and those people that matter in making our schools work, teachers, students, and parents. We are therefore going to engage all of them through their organisations and structures, to eliminate once and for all ill-discipline in our schools. We are going to engage teacher organisations in particular, to work with us, to bring back dignity to principals, and to isolate all those teachers who do not abide by the code of conduct of te profession, and those who intimidate principals not to take action against ill-discipline. We are also going to engage them to ensure that we uproot the phenomenon of absentee principals. We will also engage student organisations to ensure that students do attend schools.

To draft an Adult Education and Training (ABET) Bill for submission to Parliament in July 1999.

South Africa has an estimated 9,4 million undereducated adults requiring basic education and training that will enable them to participate in the social, economic and political development and transformation of South Africa.

Adult literacy and illiteracy in general, are intertwined with many social and economic issues, e.g. poverty, poor health, unemployment, etc., and can thus not be addressed as an isolated phenomenon.

These 9.4 million undereducated adults are those at great risk and the most vulnerable group in our society. It is evident that adult illiteracy and under-education impact on future generations in such a way that they remained trapped in a cycle of poverty and illiteracy.

The development of policy and a legal framework for ABET, which is a priority in 1999, is supported by the following:

• Constitution
• National Education Policy Act
• White Paper on Education
• Reconstruction and Development Programme White Paper
• South African Qualifications Authority Act

Since the declaration of the Interim Guidelines as policy in September 1995, the department of education, in collaboration with he provinces launched the Ithuteng Campaign in 1996. More than 135 000 adult learners registered in ABET classes at Public Adult Learning Centres (PALC’s) throughout the country. The number of adult learners in 1998 is in excess of 200 000.

One lesson learnt from the Ithuteng Campaign is the urgency to transform the old "Night-schools" as the delivery sites into more effective PALC’s.

During the second half of 1996, the Adult Education and Training Directorate, in collaboration with its provincial partners developed a Regulatory Framework document which began to declare policy similar to the Schools Act.

Provinces clearly needed a mechanism of control for the Night-schools that operated in a very disorganized fashion for many years. The quality of provisioning and deliver required immediate attention.

The regulation (which have no legal framework or statute) were intended to guide provinces with the development of interim Measures to exercise greater control over Night-schools, and transform the Night-schools into PALC’s.

During 1996, the Directorate reviewed the Interim Guidelines which culminated in the ratification of the Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Policy by HEDCOM (1997). The ABET Policy was a significant development in relation to the Interim Guidelines because it provided a comprehensive theoretical, and organising framework of an ABET System for the country. The policy also provides the guiding principles according to which the Directorate structures and develops its work. This policy is also regarded as the theoretical framework for many of the stakeholders who participated in its formulation. The ABET Policy addresses all the important subsystems of a comprehensive ABET system. These include:

• ABET and Life Long Learning
• Curriculum Framework for ABET
• Instructional Delivery
• Training and Orientation
• Social Mobilisation
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Financial Implications

To operationalise the ABET Policy, a Multi-Year Implementation Plan (MYIP) was written by the Directorate. This MYIP is regarded as a critical vehicle in reversing the historic neglect of ABET and sets clear targets and time frames. Most importantly, the MYIP is a national plan in which all stakeholders participate and have joint ownership and responsibilities.

The synergies between the ABET Policy and the MYIP are explicit. The MYIP addresses each of the critical sub-system categories of the ABET Policy and provides the required targets to be reached within a given time-frame.

Many achievements can be claimed in the name of the Policy and Plan of which the following is a short list:

• Development of Provincial Multi-Year Implementation Plans;
• Establishment of the Interim ABET Advisory board and sub-structures;
• Development of 10 sets of Unit Standards at NQF level 1;
• Development of Learning Programme Framework; Placement Tools; Action Plans and Assessment Exemplars;
• Establishment of Standards Generating Process for Norms and Standards for ABET Practitioners;
• Audit and Data-base for Adult Learning Support Materials;
• Development of Level Descriptors and ABET Qualifications;
• Practitioner and Project Management Handbooks;
• INSET for ABET Facilitators and the implementation of Provincial CASCADES in all nine provinces;
• Strategy for Monitoring and Evaluation; Training of Officials and
• Establishment of an Education Management and Information System and Education Geographical Information System.

The procedures for monitoring progress on the procurement and supply of learning support materials for 1999, using the special allocation of R200 million focussed on the management of each area of risk. Weekly reports are solicited from provincial departments of education and from the Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA) and collated.

A status report for the period ending 31 January 1999 regarding distribution of learner support materials is given below.

Distribution of learner support materials commenced after schools opened on 19 January 1999. The Province has reported a cancellation of orders for life Skills learner support materials to the value of R2 million. The cancellation was due to one region that ordered supplies more than the available budget. The provincial department of education intends raising donor funds to pay for the additional orders.

Distribution of learner support materials commenced at the middle of January 1999. The percentage distribution varies across different regions in the province from 29% in Ladybrand to 65% in some of the regions. The delays are due to delays in supplying materials from the publishers and in packing the orders in the warehouses.

Over 80% of the learner support materials have been delivered to schools in the province. Distribution should be complete by the middle of February 1999.

Distribution of learner support materials commenced during opening of schools on 19 January 1999. There are suppliers who have not received books from the publishers because they owe money from the supply of books at the beginning of 1998. This problem is being attended to. The deadline for the completion of the distribution is mid-February 1999.

Distribution of LSM in the province has progressed well. Most of the learner support materials have been distributed to schools. The distribution of outstanding materials is expected to be complete by mid-February 1999.

All orders have been placed with publishers distribution commenced after school opened in January. However it appears that 30 schools in the Upington region did not requisition any books. The regional office is working with the schools to place orders. Distribution is expected to be complete by the first week of February 1999. The Task Team will continue to monitor the process.

Distribution commenced on 15 January 1999 and is expected to be complete by 12 February 1999. The delay was caused by suppliers not submitting orders on time and also because most suppliers did not make credit arrangements with the publishers on time with the result that publishers withheld their orders.

First deliver started on 4/2/99. Since credit worthiness with suppliers was problematic, a Trust with Price Waterhouse Co-operation was established.

80 - 90% of the learner support materials have been distributed to schools. The remaining supplies should be delivered by mid-February 1999. Overall delivery has progressed well.

Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Western Cape will most likely meet their deadlines. The situation in the North West will require close monitoring. The province may, if the problem is solved, complete distribution by the end of February. The remaining provinces, (Free State, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Northern Cape and Northern Province), are also likely to complete distribution by the end of February 1999.

The Task Team from the Department of Education will monitor the process telephonically as well as visiting individual provinces. A group of schools to be monitored by telephone and another to be visited has been selected in each province. The sample of schools to be monitored includes rural, semi-urban and urban schools. Monitoring should be complete by 19 February 1999.

There has not been much movement in the fund at this stage. Gauteng took an advance of R2.76 million and the Western Cape an advance of R1.7 million. Claims are expected to flow in during the month of February 1999.

• Review and analyse 1998 experience
• Review and improve provincial process and cycle, including retention
• Review and analyse provincial allocations for Learner Support Materials for 1999/2000
• Take appropriate actions to support new curriculum in Grades 3 and 7 and to top up in Grades 10 and 11.