The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) presented 47 awards for outstanding achievement to adult learners and adult education centres in Cape Town last night (Wednesday, 3 March 2010).

The awards ceremony took place at the Gardens Commercial High School, attended by Donald Grant, Minister of Education in the Western Cape, senior WCED officials, the award winners, special guests and staff involved in adult education.

Seventeen adult learners received 18 awards in 10 categories - one learner received two awards, while 18 centres received 29 awards in 11 categories. The department presented the awards based on the 2009 ABET Level 4 results.

Ms Filda Erasmus, 77, who studies at the Atlantis community adult learning centre, is the Western Cape's most senior adult learner for 2009.

Ms Erasmus, who received the Oldest ABET Learner Award, wrote and passed two learning areas in November 2009.

Minister Grant said that many of those receiving awards had done so "despite living and learning in very difficult circumstances. This is a testimony to your courage and perseverance".

"Tonight we have adult learners who have made use of the opportunities that are on offer by the WCED through our ABET centres, and whose achievements we rightly celebrate tonight."

Grant said that 36 000 adult learners had enrolled at 295 sites in the province.

"These adult learners are equipping themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills that will help them compete in a competitive and challenging economic environment."

"Although one of our primary focuses in this administration is improving learner outcomes in our schools, this is not to say that adult education is not important to us."

Plans for the period 2010 to 2014 included establishing over 20 Day-time Operating Centres offering programmes designed to meet the needs of adult learners in their particular areas.

"Although most of the programmes offered by Community Learning Centres are academic based courses, more attention will also be given to the need for skills based and non-formal programmes," Grant said.

Examples included skills courses in the nodal areas of Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha and Beaufort West where 258 young adult learners have acquired skills in Home Based Care, Furniture Repair, Appliance Repair, Catering and Electrical Engineering.

A number of SETAs have accredited the courses, which offer increased chances of employment.

Adult learners and adult education centres received the following awards:

A. Candidate categories

The candidates received a certificate and R1000 in each category towards the purchase of study material or for futher study.

Category 1: Excellent achievement in specific academic learning areas (Fundamentals and Core):

The top candidates obtained the highest marks in the following learning areas. The award was made to candidates who obtained a minimum of 80% per learning area (maximum of one candidate per learning area from public centres and one candidate per learning area from Department of Correctional Services):

Language, Literacy and Communication: English

Provincial Average: 46.45%. Provincial Pass rate: 65.1%

Language, Literacy and Communication: Afrikaans

Provincial Average: 66.92%. Provincial Pass rate: 93.1%

Language, Literacy and Communication: isiXhosa

Provincial Average: 57.06%. Provincial Pass rate: 88.3%

Mathematical Literacy

Provincial Average: 37.54%. Provincial Pass rate: 39.7%

Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences

Provincial Average: 37.57%. Provincial Pass rate: 33%

Category 2: Excellent achievement in the electives:

The top candidates obtain the highest marks in the following learning areas. The award was made to candidates who obtained a minimum of 80% per learning area (maximum of one candidate per learning area from public centres and one candidate per learning area from Department of Correctional Services):

Ancillary Health Care

Provincial Average: 46.86%. Provincial Pass rate: 64.7%

Small Medium and Micro Enterprises

Provincial Average: 48.99%. Provincial Pass rate: 70.6%

Travel and Tourism

Provincial Average: 50.91%. Provincial Pass rate: 70.8%

Category 3: Achievement in terms of full qualification:

The following candidate received an aware for being the most senior candidate to obtain a full General Education and Training Certificate (GETC) in the 2009 ABET Level 4 examinations.

Category 4: Oldest ABET learner in 2009:

The following candidate received an award for being the most senior candidate who wrote and passed at least one or more learning areas in the 2009 ABET Level 4 examinations.

B: Centre categories

Adult Learning Centres received a certificate and R2000 in each category for the purchase of learning support material for the centre.

Category 5: Excellent centre achievement overall:

This award recognized centres that offered opportunities and achieved excellence in the October or June 2009 assessment. The criteria included

• Centres that offered 6 or more learning areas during the assessment period.
• Registered 10 or more candidates per learning area in 4 or more learning areas, the rest having at least 5 candidates registered per learning area.
• Turnout rate of 75% or more in all learning areas.
• Pass rates of 80% or more in 4 learning areas (minimum) and above 70% pass rates in the rest of the learning areas (to a maximum of 8 learning areas overall)
• Consistency in numbers registered from 2007 to 2009.

The WCED awarded a maximum of two awards to public centres and 1one award to a Department of Correctional Service centre (DCS).

Category 6: Excellent centre achievement in academic learning areas (fundamentals and core):

The award recognized the top two public centres and the top DCS centre based on number of entries, turnout rate and pass rate (look at numbers as well as %), quality of passes in each of the following learning areas:

Language, Literacy and Communication: English

Provincial Average: 46.45%. Provincial Pass rate: 65.1%

Language, Literacy and Communication: Afrikaans

Provincial Average: 66.92%. Provincial Pass rate: 93.1%

Language, Literacy and Communication: isiXhosa

Provincial Average: 57.06%. Provincial Pass rate: 88.3%

Mathematical Literacy

Provincial Average: 37.54%. Provincial Pass rate: 39.7%

Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences

Provincial Average: 37.57%. Provincial Pass rate: 33%

Natural Sciences

Provincial Average: 40.52%. Provincial Pass rate: 50.3%

Category 7: Excellent centre achievement in the Electives:

This award recognized the top two public centres and the top DCS centre based on number of entries, turnout rate and pass rate (numbers and percentage), and quality of passes in each of the following learning areas:

Ancillary Health Care

Provincial Average: 46.86%. Provincial Pass rate: 64.7%

Applied Agriculture and Agricultural Technology

Provincial Average: 53.67%. Provincial Pass rate: 73.0%

Small Medium and Micro Enterprises

Provincial Average: 48.99%. Provincial Pass rate: 70.6%

Travel and Tourism

Provincial Average: 50.91%. Provincial Pass rate: 70.8%

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