Call to Retired Teachers (Media Statement)

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 7 Dec, 2007
Media Release (from Western Cape Education Department)
Friday 07 December 2007


Retired Teachers Association to help promote excellence

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has launched a call for
expression of interest last night (Thursday 06 December) for a proposed
Retired Teachers Association (RTA). Deputy Education Minister Enver
Surty was the guest speaker at the function in Athlone, Cape Town.

The WCED under the leadership of MEC Cameron Dugmore, has set aside
modest seed funding for the inception of this initiative and contracted
a service provider to determine interest levels to see if the proposal
garners support.

Said MEC Dugmore: “The ultimate success of the operation will depend
on the uptake from retired teachers. We have started to speak to
stakeholders like unions and school governing body associations as well
as to individuals, and the preliminary responses have been extremely
enthusiastic.

“The real debate about details, roles, constitution, roll-out and so
on will be in the hands of the retired teachers themselves.

“We are confident that this exercise will provide a huge resource for
schools and for learning, a mass mobilisation of a vital ‘support
base’ with so much wisdom and talent to contribute and a good place
for community plough back.

“Through the association the branches might provide intellectual
stimulus to members on issues of common interest or via social
engagements. Lectures and sessions on, for example, emerging legislation
or school management issues, could contribute much to maintaining
cohesiveness and personal fulfilment in this sector of society.

”Members of the RTA might want to offer tuition or other help, for
example in libraries or with management; help with literacy and numeracy
programmes; or even conducting classes at spring or winter schools.

“I would also like to call on the experience of retired educators to
feed insights into the structures of the WCED and school governing
bodies, to promote excellence in public education.

“Members of the RTA will have an opportunity to interact with other
retirees in participating in community service, be updated on relevant
legislative and policy issues, participate in social activities and
perhaps receive discounts on items or services that the RTA might have
negotiated with its trading partners.

“So, if you’re a retired educator or a group and you believe you
can add value to the lives of our learners and teachers, and help grow
the RTA, please make contact. For the RTA to achieve its objectives and
survive, it requires your further input, commitment and membership.

“This is the start of something very exciting and I look forward to
learning from the retired teachers what their vision might be for
growing education in our province to give everybody the best possible
start in life.”


· Retired educators interested in joining, can contact: Harry Zass 082
336 2875; or Andiswa Mxhadi 072 444 8845; email rta@workmail.co.za; or
fax 086 666 2146.


For enquiries, contact Paddy Attwell 083 261 7699, or Gert Witbooi: 082
550 3938.

Post in News Stories | comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

"Schools that Work" Report now available

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 5 Dec, 2007

 

Media Statement from Department of Education (3rd December)

In June 2007, the Minister of Education established a Committee to conduct research into schools that performed well and are in the middle quintiles.

 

Called “Schools that Work” the qualitative study, considered the circumstances under which schools achieve good results, while others in a similar context do not.

“There can be no doubt that the good results of these schools are produced by the commitment of principals and teachers. This emerged as one of the most powerful themes in our study of Schools that Work”, the Committee wrote.

The report recommends that provincial departments support successful schools through recognition and incentives.

The Committee found highly motivated schools, with dedicated staff and busy learners, using additional time before and after school, on Saturdays and during holidays. Schools were focused on learner achievement, and celebrated their achievements to motivate themselves further.

The Committee found four essential dynamics at work in successful schools:

  • all of the schools were focused on their central tasks of teaching, learning, and management with a sense of responsibility, purpose and commitment;
  • all of the schools carried out their tasks with competence and confidence;
  • all had organisational cultures or mindsets that supported a work ethic, expected achievement, and acknowledged success;
  • all had strong internal accountability systems in place, which enabled them to meet the demands of external accountability, particularly in terms of Senior Certificate achievement.

Successful schools exhibited strong “inner capacities” in terms of teaching and learning, supported by management and leadership, as well as a sense of agency. If schools do not have these capacities, interventions in the form of incentives or sanctions are unlikely to have effect. The challenge is, the committee reported, to work with what exists in schools to build and support capacity.

The research provides a taxonomy that will be considered as the basis for further research and longitudinal study of factors that lead to improved quality in the school system.

Editors Notes:

1. The Committee was made up of Prof Pam Christie (Chair), Dr Dawn Butler and Mr Mark Potterton. The Committee was supported by a Reference Group of Francine de Clercq (Wits), Tsidi Dipholo (SADTU), Aslam Fataar (UWC), Heather Jacklin (UCT), Relebohile Moletsane (UKZN), Martin Mulcahy (Ministry), Hersheela Narsee (DoE), and Sibusiso Sithole (DoE).

 

Post in News Stories | comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

Are we meeting the UNESCO Education for all programme?

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 3 Dec, 2007

The latest UNESCO Courier (number 10, 2007)  has its theme  "Education for All, halfway there".

The Education for All programme was launched in 1997 focussing on  quality basic education to children, youths, and adults.   In 2006, 160 countries set six goals to be met by 2015.  The goals included early childhood education, primary school, life skills, adult literacy, gender parity and quality education. 

This issue of UNESCO Courier looks at the programme and asks whether we will make it.

Stories include:-

* Education, a fundamental right

*  For multilingual education in Africa

*  Illiteracy costs more than literacy

*  Gender equality in math textbooks: an impossible equation?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post in News Stories | comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)