Statement by Yousuf Gabru, MEC for Education in the Western Cape

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is on track towards providing 160 new classrooms for Grade R learners by the end of March 2009.

The department is providing the classrooms as part of a broader programme to expand access to Grade R by children in poor communities. The programme is a key deliverable of the provincial government.

The WCED completed 121 Grade R classrooms at public schools by the end of December 2008 and is on track for completing the balance by 31 March this year.

The WCED started opening examples of the new classrooms officially in all eight education districts of the province yesterday (Monday, 2 February 2009) at Masiphumelele Primary School in Khayelitsha and Sophakama Primary in Du Noon.

New classrooms will open today (Tuesday, 3 February 2009) at Levana Primary in Retreat and Sunnyside Primary in Athlone and De Rust Futura Akademia in Grabouw on Wednesday (4 February 2009).

Citrusdal Primary in Citrusdal and Formosa Primary in Plettenberg Bay will open new Grade R classrooms on Thursday (5 February 2009).

Background

While Grade R, the reception year before learners start Grade 1, is currently not regarded as compulsory education, the WCED aims to provide universal access to Grade R to all 5/6-year old children in the province by the year 2010 or as soon as possible thereafter.

A number of studies, including the national systemic assessment study of Grade 3 learners undertaken in 2001 as well as the provincial systemic evaluation conducted in 2004 and 2006 show a high correlation between reading and numeracy performance at the Grade 3 level and access to pre-school programmes.

In order to achieve universal access to Grade R, the WCED will provide funds for 4 000 additional Grade R learners per annum in public schools. Approximately 54% of the Grade R cohort is currently accommodated in such classes, while 46% of the Grade R age cohort is accommodated in community sites.

ECD kits

Young children learn through play and the WCED will continue to issue kits consisting of equipment for indoor and outdoor learning to selected public primary schools across the province. The WCED will deliver 240 ECD kits to Grade R classes by the end of February.

The learning and teaching support material is specially designed to develop and improve the learners' perceptual skills, gross and fine motor skills as well as literacy and numeracy skills. Grade R practitioners will receive training in the use of the equipment.

Support for learning will be provided by creating print-rich classroom environments, which are conducive to teaching and learning.

Model Grade R classes

The WCED has established 24 Model Grade R classes at public primary schools across the Western Cape. These sites are being used to demonstrate best practice and for in-service training for all Grade R practitioners and Foundation Phase teachers in their respective communities.

Jungle gyms

The WCED installed jungle gyms at 135 schools in the poorest communities of the province last year. Grade R learners will use the jungle gyms during their outdoor play periods.

Transport

The WCED has launched a pilot programme in certain areas of the southern Cape and the West Coast to provide transport for Grade R learners living more than five kilometres from their nearest school. The department has invited schools in these areas to apply for transport.

Training

The department is working closely with the Department of Social Development and Further and Education and Training Colleges to provide training for ECD practitioners as part of the national Expanded Public Works Programme to provide job opportunities in poor communities.

FET colleges are providing the training as part of an inservice learnership programme. About 900 practitioners have already completed the programme and a further 1 500 will complete the programme by the end of February 2009.

About 1 000 practitioners joined the programme in July 2008 and will complete their training in December 2009. About 1 700 practitioners joined the programme in January 2009.

The FET colleges are providing the training on levels 1 to 5 of the National Qualifications Framework. The Centre for Early Childhood Development has completed monitoring and evaluation of the WCED level 5 training on behalf of the provincial departments of Education and Social Development. The service provider is currently finalising its report. The FET colleges will share examples of best practice.

Enrolment

The WCED has commissioned an audit of Grade R learners in all education districts. The audit found 19 859 Grade R learners in community sites last year and 27 597 in public schools, giving a total of 47 816. This does not include Grade R learners and private schools and special schools. The Department of Social Development is funding about 2 000 Grade R learners, mainly in rural areas.

The WCED will assist schools in capturing details on Grade R learners on the department's online learner tracking system, which will help to ensure accurate statistics.

Meanwhile, the national Department of Education requires all community sites to register as independent schools. The WCED expects that all sites will register by the end of the financial year (31 March 2009), which will also help to ensure accurate statistics.

Subsidies

The WCED has increased the subsidy for Grade R learners, based on a sliding scale which favours learners in the poorest communities. The department classifies schools in five categories called quintiles. The poorest schools are in Quintile 1 and the least poor in Quintile 5.

The department has increased the subsidy per learner per day from R9 to R12 in Quintiles 1 and 2; from R8 to R9 in Quintile 3; from R4 to R6 in Quintile 4; and from R4 to R5 in Quintile 5.

The WCED has backdated the subsidy to April 2008 and will revisit the subsidy again for the 2009/10 financial year.

We face a major challenge as we seek to ensure universal enrolment of Grade R learners in the Western Cape. However, our current initiatives will go a long way towards achieving this goal.

For enquiries, contact Millicent Merton:  072 724 1422 or mmerton@pgwc.gov.za.

Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

The Western Cape - A Home for All
INtshona Koloni - iKhaya loMntu wonke
Die Wes-Kaap - 'n Tuiste vir Almal