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Media Release

8 January, 2010

Underperforming schools - Minister's comment

Statement by Donald Grant, Minister of Education in the Western Cape

It is deeply concerning that the number of underperforming high schools in the Western Cape has increased in 2009. 85 schools in the province achieved a pass rate of less then 60%.

The number of under-performing secondary schools in the province has consistently increased over the last four years. In 2006, 36 schools were classified as under-performing, this rose to 54 in 2007, 74 in 2008 and now 85.

We simply cannot continue to have the intolerable situation where the majority of these schools are not in a position to provide the quality of education that all learners are entitled to. Therefore, lifting the quality of education in these schools is a major priority of ours.

In our strategic plan for education, released in November, we set ourselves a number of targets to improve education in the province, including reducing the number of underperforming schools.

We will do everything to ensure that we reach our target of eliminating underperforming and dysfunctional high schools by 2014.

While many consider this a major challenge, we believe that it is a non-negotiable of this administration.

In an Open, Opportunity Society for All, every learner has the opportunity to realise his or her full potential through access to a good education. In some of these schools, learners are denied that opportunity.

The reasons for this are numerous. Each school has a different set of challenges that they face each day. Therefore, we need develop a specific set of management plans for each school, and create a set of individual targets and outcomes to achieve.

We will implement a performance and evaluation system, holding principals and district officials to account for their role in improving individual school performance, on-site inspections, and audits on late arrivals and attendance.

Schools desperately need our support. Therefore, we will improve the responsiveness and efficiency of the WCED through a focus on changing the organizational culture and improving the department’s business processes and systems so that we are equipped to provide rapid response service and support to schools and teachers.

A more detailed plan, however, will be released in the coming weeks once we have analysed each of the schools.

For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey:  072 724 1422 or brcasey@pgwc.gov.za.


Issued by:
Bronagh Casey
Media Liaison Officer
Office of the Minister of Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2377
Fax: 021 425 5689

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


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