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Media Release

3 May, 2005


Profiles necessary for redress

THE WESTERN CAPE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT (WCED) collects information of all kinds for statistical purposes, to inform planning and to measure progress towards achieving our objectives.

These objectives include transformation, to ensure access, redress and equity in the way we provide education. We can only achieve these objectives if we have the information we need for planning purposes.

Our main source of information is our Annual Survey of schools. We ask for details on a wide range of indicators. These include our learners’ ages, gender, race, grades, home languages, distribution, subject choices, subject levels, subject distribution, extra-mural activities, first enrolments and pre-primary attendance, among others.

We can compare any of these indicators and others to obtain valuable insights into the status of education on school, circuit, district and provincial levels.

Other indicators include relative poverty, academic results, school fees, learner/ teacher and classroom ratios, school management and governance, learning materials and physical infrastructure. Physical infrastructure includes classrooms, water, electricity, sanitation, offices and sports facilities.

Other sources of information include the census and forms completed by learners and parents, for example, on registration at schools and entry forms for Grade 9 Common Tasks of Assessment and the Senior Certificate Examinations.

Said Western Cape MEC for Education Cameron Dugmore: "We have not introduced a special survey to obtain information on the demographic profile of our learners, nor have we allocated special resources to obtain this information. Our existing sources of information are sufficient to obtain this data.

"I do not believe that we should remove reference to race, gender or disability from our analysis because this would mask social injustice, rather than promote transformation.

"Ideally we would like our teachers and principals to assist us with obtaining the necessary information to avoid a situation where a learner is confronted with providing answers to such sensitive matters. The department will soon distribute a circular to schools on how to handle requests for demographic details.

"I must also stress that there was not a widespread number of complaints received, probably because the overwhelming majority of our parents understand the need for redress."

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi: 082 550 3938, or gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.


Issued by:
Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Secretary
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
E-mail: gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689


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