House Chairperson, the purpose of the visit of the portfolio committee was to engage and interact extensively with the department regarding their planned activities for the delivery under the planned programmes and subprogrammes.
We were keen to reflect on the department's annual performance plan to ascertain if it was aligned to its strategic plan, including its budget. Other key factors that were of interest to the committee were the achievements and challenges they had encountered in the previous financial year, as well as their current priorities. These interactions would then also serve as a basis for our oversight visits to the North West, Mpumalanga, Free State and Limpopo provinces, to gauge service delivery for inclusive education, district development, and curriculum policy support and monitoring, including infrastructure development.
As 'n komitee het ons deeglike aanbiedinge ontvang met betrekking tot die volgende programme: Opvoedkundige verryking; kurrikulum ondersteuning en moniteringbeleid; onderwyseropvoeding; menslike hulpbronne; en inrigtingsontwikkeling.
Die aanbieding het goeie vordering getoon in die volgende aspekte, om maar 'n paar te noem: die implementering van 'n gentegreerde strategie ten opsigte van MIV en Vigs; die nasionale voedingsprogram, wat oor die 8 miljoen leerlinge in 20 520 skole deel aan het en waar werk geskep is vir gemeenskapslede wat die kos hanteer; die implementering van die Veiligheid in Skole program; die ontwikkeling van 'n voorskoolse onderwyskurrikulum; die voorstelling van 'n intervensie en strategi vir wiskunde- en wetenskaponderrig. Die bostaande is maar 'n paar van die vooruitgaande aspekte van basiese onderwys.
Nieteenstaande die uitdagings, het die komitee die volgende aanbevelings gemaak: (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[As a committee we received sound presentations regarding the following programmes: educational enrichment; support and monitoring curriculum policy; teacher education; human resources and institutional development.
The presentations showed good progress regarding the following aspects, to name just a few: the implementation of an integrated strategy in respect of HIV and Aids; the national feeding scheme programme in which more than 8 million learners in 20 520 schools are participating and where employment was created for members of the community who deal with the food; the implementation of the School Safety Programme; the development of a preschool education curriculum; and the presentation of a intervention strategy for mathematics and science teaching. The above are only a few of the aspects of basic education where progress is being made.
Notwithstanding the challenges, the committee made the following recommendations:]
District development still needs more attention and there is a need to capacitate school governing bodies in respect of accountability for funds and the taking of decisions on recruitment. There is also a need for a uniform approach in dealing with learner pregnancies. The department must strengthen its focus on learners with barriers to learning. Furthermore, there is a need to look into intersectoral collaboration with the departments of Health and of Sport and Recreation and the SA Police Service. How was such collaboration coordinated and how effective was the work of the department, including the role played by municipalities? There is also a need for a broader meeting on the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Chairperson, I move:
That the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.