"We should move faster to address the challenges of poverty, underdevelopment and marginalization confronting those caught within the Second Economy, to ensure that the poor in our country share in our growing prosperity." State of the Nation Address of the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki (2006)

1. In 2005, cabinet approved the implementation of an "affirmative action" programme to give all South African schools an equal chance to provide quality education for all their learners. Called the Quality Improvement, Development, Support and Upliftment Programme (abbreviated into "QIDS-UP" and pronounced "KIDS-UP"), the programme, which was implemented in April 2006, is intended to provide basic resources such as equipment, supplies, infrastructure and personnel support to the poorest schools.
2. The schools identified for the QIDS-UP have been classified in accordance with prescriptions of the National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF) published in the Government Gazette 29178, dated 31 August 2006. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED), in accordance with national directives, has identified 374 primary and 33 secondary schools in National Quintiles 1 and 2 and a number of Learner Attainment Strategy Schools (LAS) in the province to be included in QIDS-UP. The programme will run until March 2011 and is focussed on learners in the poorest of our schools. It should therefore reach approximately 229980 learners in 491 schools. The number and names of schools identified per EMDC are listed in Annexure A. The Chief Directorate: Education Planning is pleased to inform schools identified of the benefits of the programme.
3. The benefits of the programme, based on available resources, include the following:

  • Physical resources: A suitable, decent structure that is easily accessible to all learners, educators and community members (including the physically disabled); power supply; drinking water and sanitation; sports fields and or equipment; furniture (including desks, chairs for teachers and learners, tables for teachers, cupboards and bookshelves); specialised classrooms; chalkboards and proper fencing.

  • Teaching and learning resources and materials: Computers (for teaching and learning, as well as administrative purposes); office equipment including copiers, printers and faxes; science laboratories and or science equipment; and libraries and/or classroom reading resource corners

  • Human resources: Upskilling of and support to educators

  • Strengthening school management teams and school governing bodies and developing leadership skills in representative councils of learners in order to enhance school management
4. Given the scope of the support being offered to the schools towards enabling them to become schools of excellence and placing learners' educational success first, it is imperative that the stakeholders of the school take note of the following:

  • The school will be subjected to an external audit process to establish its resource needs during the period mid-March to mid-June 2007.

  • A copy of the school's School Self-Evaluation (SSE) and School Improvement Plan (SIP) must be submitted to the relevant EMDC by no later than 30 June 2007.

  • A memorandum of understanding must be signed between the school's governing body and the WCED.

  • A monitoring and evaluation process will be conducted 12 months after delivery to establish the impact of the support given.


SIGNED: S. NAICKER
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2007:03:09

Annexure A  (size: 74 KB)