WCED & Education Service Providers Meeting
10 December 2010, 12h00-13h00
SD Boardroom, 9th Floor, Grand Central, Cape Town
Minutes
Attendance list
Name
Alice Ashwell
Andile Nqoko
Bood Carver
Catherine Snel
Carole Olivier
Dawn Glover
Florence Gamanie
Janice April
Lappies Labuschagne
Linda Rose
Lindie Buirski
Lisa Combrink
Mahluli Sibanda
Margaret Roestorf
Mark Hawthorne
Mary Possa
Michael Jonas
Michelle Sholto-Douglas
Patrick Dowling
Penny Vinjevold
Roleen Ellman
Sally Hey
Theo Oldjohn
Wendy Hitchcock
Organisation
EnviroEds
SAEP
SEED
Taal Monument / SA Museums
Association
SANCCOB
Cheetah Outreach
Dept of Water Affairs
EcoSchools
Parmalat Enviro Centre
Western Cape Education Dept
City of Cape Town
Iziko SA Museums
SAEP
SANCCOB
Table Mountain National Park
Cheetah Outreach
Dept of Cultural Affairs & Sport
Footprints
WESSA
WCED
SANBI
SANBI
SEED
Eco Activities
E-mail
alice@enviroeds.co.za
anqoko@gmail.com
bood@cybersmart.co.za
kurator@taalmuseum.co.za
carole@sanccob.co.za
cheetah@intekom.co.za
GamaniF@dwaf.gov.za
janice1923@gmail.com
seec@telkomsa.net
lrose@pgwc.gov.za
Lindie.Buirski@capetown.gov.za
lcombrink@iziko.org.za
mahlulisibbs@gmail.com
Marketing@sanccob.co.za
MarkH@sanparks.org
cheetah@intekom.co.za
mjjonas@pgwc.gov.za
footprintsed@mweb.co.za
patrick@wessa.co.za
...
R.Ellman@sanbi.org.za
S.Hey@sanbi.org.za
theo@seed.org.za
hitchcock@mweb.co.za
Welcome
Ms Penny Vinjevold (Superintendent General of Education) and Ms Linda Rose (Chief Director
Districts) of the Western Cape Education Department welcomed representatives from a range of
environmental and cultural organisations (e.g. government departments, parastatal agencies, nongovernmental organisations, trusts and private consultants).
Aims of Meeting
Ms Vinjevold (PV) summarised the aims of the meeting as:
•
clarifying why the WCED is concerned about some aspects of the involvement of service
providers in schools
•
discussing boundaries to the involvement of service providers
•
establishing the basis of a constructive and ongoing relationship between the WCED and
service providers that would enable us to address education challenges
Background
PV provided the following background:
•
Premier Helen Zille is particularly concerned that poor children should receive high quality
education and become proficient in reading, writing and calculating. Currently, these basic
skills are not being effectively developed, and under-educated learners are unable to escape
the cycle of poverty when they leave school. Especially where children are growing up in
unsafe, unpredictable environments with low levels of literacy, schools need to be safe
places that provide children with a sense of predictability.
•
Only 17% of learners are reading at their age level, and mathematics in SA is in crisis. South
African schools don’t come close to schools in other countries in international TIMS tests. No
SA students are represented in the top quintile of students internationally.
•
The National Department of Education is producing numeracy and literacy workbooks for
each child in Grades 1-6. These will show the teacher what learners should do each day (to
ensure that teaching and learning take place at the relevant pace and level).
•
Many service provider-led activities taking place in schools are curriculum-compliant and of
good quality. However, in some schools so many activities are taking place that they disrupt
the rhythm of teaching and allow teachers to abdicate responsibility for teaching. While wellresourced schools may be able to manage and integrate supplementary programmes
effectively into the learning programme of the school, this is not always the case in underresourced schools. Many teachers and learners find it difficult to make sense of the “fog” of
activities on offer to them.
•
PV reminded us of the “sacredness” of teaching. Effective teaching can enable people to
escape from the constraints of their environments. The work done by service providers in
schools to promote sustainability and social justice is vital; however, the challenge is to
ensure that these programmes do not unnecessarily disrupt basic teaching and learning.
•
Service providers should do the bulk of their work with youth after school hours: afternoons,
weekends and school holidays, e.g. science displays at shopping centres. At these times
many youth in under-resourced areas have very little to do and service providers will
therefore play an important role in keeping youth safe and involved in positive activities.
Discussion & suggestions
•
In response to a question from Lappies Labuschagne (SEEC), PV stated that the WCED does
not have a policy on service provider involvement in schools, nor do they think this is
necessary. The idea is not to institute a blanket ban on service provider involvement, but to
ensure that they respect the same guidelines re: engaging with schools that the WCED itself
observes (e.g. WCED officials meet with teachers after school only).
•
Margaret Roestorf (SANCCOB) suggested that service provider involvement in schools could
be better coordinated. She offered SANCCOB’s assistance with coordination. This might help
to ensure that schools are more fairly supported by service providers (rather than some
schools being over-involved while others have very little support).
•
Patrick Dowling reminded the group of the environmental calendar (see Year of Special Days
booklet), which could help service providers, WCED and schools plan environmental learning
programmes and events more proactively and coherently. PV offered that short stories and
text-rich worksheets related to environmental issues / days could be made available to
teachers on the WCED website.
•
PV recognised the value of educational field trips to heritage sites, but did not approve of
“serial outings”, which were not particularly educational. She suggested that field trips be
limited to about two per class per year. Teachers should prepare learners thoroughly,
integrate trips into the overall programme of learning, and not view field trips as “time out”
for themselves or their learners.
•
Patrick Dowling (WESSA) observed that schools should be responding to the environmental
crisis. Service providers could also help schools to prepare learners for employment in the
environmental sector. Environmental education (EE) programmes could also support literacy
and numeracy development.
•
PV observed that WCED needed to recruit new teachers but that there was only a 4%
attrition rate and the Department could not absorb even existing graduates (only 1000 of
33 000 teachers are newly appointed). Ongoing professional development of in-service
teachers was therefore necessary.
•
The revised curriculum (CAPS) will be implemented from 2012, and training of teachers and
curriculum advisors will begin early in 2011. Every subject incorporates environmental
knowledge, but CAs and teachers often lack this background information. PV stated that
environmental service providers would be invited to assist with in-service professional
development.
•
Alice Ashwell (EnviroEds) observed that an in-service (EE) programme had been run at the
Cape Teaching & Learning Institute (CTLI) for a number of years, but that this had been
terminated this year. She suggested that instead of running a separate EE course, service
providers could contribute specific modules within the WCED’s formal training programmes
at the CTLI. PV agreed that this more integrated approach would help to mainstream
environmental learning.
•
The WCED can offer service providers CAPS training early in 2011, and this will enable
service providers to support implementation of CAPS. Roleen Ellman (SANBI) asked that
service providers be permitted to attend the training sessions for teachers in order to
understand the areas where teachers required support. PV agreed and asked service
providers to indicate the areas where they live/work in order that they can be invited to
attend trainings in the relevant districts.
•
PV asked service providers to ensure that all learning programmes included opportunities for
learners to read and complete extended writing tasks. She noted with concern the tendency
of OBE to emphasise “group activities” over reading and writing.
•
SANCCOB asked about the WCED’s policy on endorsement of service provider programmes,
as some funders have requested proof of WCED endorsement. The WCED does not endorse
programmes, but in cases where provincial-scale programmes are implemented, these may
be governed by tender documents or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs).
•
In 2011/12 the WCED’s Institutional Management & Governance section may be asked to
check up on service providers and their programmes.
•
Service providers should approach WCED district offices before approaching schools in order
that officials can keep track of the number of service providers working in particular schools,
and monitor programmes. Weaker schools often find it difficult to manage partnerships and
district officials should dissuade these schools from getting involved in multiple interventions
until they are functioning more effectively.
•
Alice Ashwell (EnviroEds) asked how the WCED could help service providers to work with
youth after school, as it is relatively difficult to access young people after school. PV noted
that the Western Cape provincial government is particularly concerned about involving youth
in positive activities after school, and is starting to offer afternoon programmes for youth
(especially sport and nutrition) at community centres. They hope to set up more multipurpose centres where youth can do activities and homework under supervision.
•
Alice also suggested that, in addition to focusing on environmental learning in the curriculum,
service providers (e.g. WESSA, City of Cape Town, Project 90x2030, etc. that are involved in
resource management and greening) could help the WCED’s Integrated Management &
Governance section to develop sustainable management programmes for schools, which will
reduce both running costs and environmental impacts. In addition to teacher involvement,
school management teams and school governing bodies could play an important role.
•
PV suggested that relevant service providers could address the annual Principals’
Conferences on how to reduce resource use and save running costs. A pilot project could be
run to determine costs “before and after” resource saving interventions.
•
Service providers were also encouraged to assist with the beautification of schools. This will
contribute to the vision of the Department of Basic Education that every school should be a
place where children want to go.
Actions
•
WCED to organise a follow-up meeting with service providers in January.
•
Linda Rose to set up a meeting in January with Eddie Kirsten of the CTLI and service providers
who could support teacher professional development.
•
WCED to present an introductory workshop on CAPS for service providers.
•
WCED to compile packs of relevant materials for service providers to ensure that they are
adequately informed of curriculum developments.
•
PV, LR and district directors to decide on the number of outings and class / school visits per
class per year that are reasonable, so that service providers have clear guidelines of the
amount of time they may engage with classes during the school day.
•
Service providers to investigate a means of facilitating better coordination (e.g. a calendar),
and to decide on a lead agency that will manage this (e.g. SANCCOB, EE Friends, etc).
•
Service provider network meetings should precede the meeting with WCED, in order that
groups can discuss the outcomes of this meeting and attend the next meeting with WCED
having given these issues some thought.
Closure
•
Participants thanked Ms Vinjevold and Ms Rose for the very constructive meeting.
•
Ms Rose made some WCED materials available to participants.
Alice Ashwell, 13 December 2010
alice@enviroeds.co.za