Deputy Speaker, the Education Collaboration Framework, ECF, is a partnership initiative involving government, civil society and the business sector. It aims to strengthen co- operation among its stakeholders towards attainment of improved educational outcomes in the country. The ECF seeks to support the implementation of the education reform agenda.
Central to the ECF is the need to set up effective mechanisms for driving the collaboration as envisaged in the NDP. We see this as the implementation of one of the pillars of the NDP. Equally important to the ECF is the need to improve on the historic performance of partnership initiatives in terms of their efficiency, impact, value for money and sustainability.
The ECF is of the view that improvements in the performance of partnership initiatives will be achieved through interventions that include the following: Have an increased focus on priority areas; allow for stronger integration between nongovernmental and government organisations; exhibit increased efficiency; carefully identify and capture the key conditions for success; create avenues for mainstreaming lessons from government-social partner interventions; capitalise on the gains of the past 18 years, and address the ongoing systemic challenges in education.
Schools will benefit from the ECF by means of agreed upon interventions to improve learning effectiveness and to address major deficits in resourcing and infrastructure. Identified interventions to improve school functionality will be phased-in and fulfilled within 5 years with the following elements: Based on evidence within a holistic framework; determined by need and profiles of schools; ensuring basic functionality at all schools and districts; providing a care and support package like minor repairs and maintenance, human resources, basic school resourcing, and will also look at incentives for improved performance.
Deputy Speaker, I can share with the House that the department and its partners are ready to actually give you the first three months' report on the work that has been done under collaboration. We have profiled quite a number of schools, hon Madisha from Limpopo. We have profiled the entire Vhembe District. We know specifically school by school what the challenges are and have developed plans, and we are ready to share with colleagues the great work that is happening under the collaboration agreement. Thank you.