Education Update || 28

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Newspaper of the WCED OCTOBER 2016 ISSUE 28

Common Good is collaborating with Oranjekloof Moravian Primary School in Hout Bay as part of a pilot programme to test a new model of schooling that brings additional education management skills and innovation into the public school system. Photo credit: Common Good

Proposed Bill to “enhance education performance in the Western Cape” Western Cape Education Minister Debbie Schäfer has published, for public comment, a draft Western Cape Provincial School Education Amendment Bill. Schäfer said now that she has been in office for just over two years, she has identified a number of issues that she would like to address, and which she believes will enhance the educational performance in the Western Cape. These required amendment of legislation, either to provide for new policy, or to clarify and expand on existing legislation. “As a provincial government we have identified accountability, transparency and innovation as important attributes, and our legislation also needs to reflect this,” said Schäfer.

There were six core policy decisions in this Bill published in the Government Gazette. • The first provided for the establishment of a Provincial Schools Evaluation Authority. This Authority will conduct independent assessments at schools to assess performance on a range of criteria. This was a refinement of the existing “Whole School Evaluation process”, with clear focus on a smaller set of criteria that make a meaningful difference in education, especially the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom. The results will be publicised to promote greater transparency and accountability.

This model was still in the process of development, and the tools and criteria will be discussed with stakeholders in the near future.

This would allow for better regulation as well as for the department to compel a school to become a Collaboration School, if it was in the interests of learners. The intention was for this approach to be used in the case of underperforming schools.

• The second amendment was the creation of “intervention facilities” where learners can be referred to as an alternative sanction to expulsion in disciplinary processes. The WCED has over the years sent some learners to a facility at Die Bult in George where they have received interventions. In a number of cases, learners have been successfully reintegrated into their schools. Schäfer said it was senseless to her that learners were expelled in some cases, but they still have to receive education. “What happens in practice is that expelled learners are accommodated in another school. This simply transfers the problem from one school to another. Establishing an intervention facility as an alternative, will enable the learner to receive various appropriate interventions for their situation, whilst still receiving an education. This will have to be done with the consent of their parents.”

• The Amendment Bill also sought to provide in more detail for the Collaboration School model, and for donor-funded public schools.

INSIDE | NEWS

Infrastructure projects on track

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We have identified accountability, transparency and innovation as important attributes, and our legislation needs to reflect this.

• Fourthly, the bill addressed the extremely restrictive legislation regarding alcohol on school premises. Schäfer said the proposed amendment was to allow for the principal or governing body to approve the sale or use of alcohol on school premises, but strictly subject to the provisions of the Western Cape Liquor Act and any conditions set by the governing body or principal. “It will be up to the school if they wish to do this or not, and I trust it will be exercised responsibly,” she added.

• The bill also provided for the possibility of making regulations relating to the promotion and progression of learners. Schäfer said the national progression policy has caused some concern, as it appeared to have given learners the idea that they did not have to work or attend school regularly, as they would simply be

I N S I D E | F E AT U R E

Teachers encouraged to develop digital resources

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progressed to the next grade if they failed more than once in a phase. “Minister Motshekga has made some welcome changes to the regulations governing this, but only in respect of the FET phase. I would like to explore the possibility of passing provincial regulations that will compel schools to ensure that learners actually achieve the required pass marks before they are progressed.”

• The bill was providing for improved monitoring and support of curriculum delivery. This would provide for monitoring and support of an educator in the classroom, and for principals in schools. Schäfer said she hoped that these amendments will contribute to improving education.

INSIGHT

Provincial mini conference in managing the NSNP

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SPORT

SA Junior wins silver at World Skyrunning Championship

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Final countdown for Class of 2016

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he Western Cape Education ' ( )' is committed to supporting NSC candidates in every possible way to pass matric and to achieve

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THE WCED HAS IN PLACE A TARGETED AND SUSTAINED STRATEGY TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS THROUGH OUR GRADE 12 PROGRAMME.

Key elements of the Grade 12 improvement programme include the following: A Ensuring that all Grade 12 learners have textbooks in at least 6 core subjects. A Providing Grade 12 learners with a study guideline called “Tips for Successâ€? that provides advice on how and what to study for each subject, the structure of exam papers and how to manage their study time. A Providing learners with previous examination papers. A Regular school visits by ofďŹ cials for curriculum support and monitoring. A Meetings with learners and parents. A Motivational talks by our district directors and staff. A Follow up sessions with learners with irregular school attendance. A Tutoring of learners over weekends and holidays by experienced teachers with a record of high learner achievement. A Subject speciďŹ c support to educators to improve curriculum delivery. A A Telematics project which broadcasts lessons via satellite in selected subjects to 144 schools after school and over weekends. A Personal mentoring by teachers of learners at risk. A Providing learners with safe homework and study spaces.

IN 2015, THE WESTERN CAPE WAS THE TOP PERFORMING PROVINCE IN THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF NSC RESULTS. Crucially, the results showed that the WCED was succeeding in closing the inequality gap between wealthy and poorer schools. For the ďŹ rst time, the average pass rates in schools in quintiles 1, 2 and 3, schools with the highest portions of historically disadvantaged learners, were all above 70% in the Western Cape. An underperforming school is a school that has achieved less than 60% in the NSC. Each District has developed an individual plan to support each of these schools and to move them out of the ‘underperforming schools category’ by increasing the pass rate to above 70% in the 2016 NSC. There are currently 66 (down from 82 in 2014) schools that achieved less than 70% in the 2015 NSC. To improve education outcomes and support for these schools, the WCED has categorised all schools that achieves less than 70% in the National Senior CertiďŹ cate as an ‘underperforming school’.

Some of these “focus areas� include:

Each district submitted ‘focus areas’ in which they have identiďŹ ed and are speciďŹ c to each school.

A Weekly progress reports A + - subjects A Issuing of past papers A District Camps and Holiday Programmes A Monitoring the use of

/ A ‘Buddy’ system for revision support groups A Targeted student mentors in the schools

THE WCED WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT PERFORMING SCHOOLS TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR RESULTS.

A Regular meetings with parents – attended by the SGB as well as the CTM’s and IMG’s A Conducting parent workshops to provide them with a basket a tools to create conducive home environments A Learner wellness programmes

Quality education depends on effective systemic testing The Western Cape Education Department will conduct systemic tests during October to assess the knowledge and skills of learners in language and mathematics in Grades 3, 6 and 9. The WCED has tested the language and maths skills of primary school children every year since 2002, focussing initially on Grades 3 and 6. The department added Grade 9 in 2010, so that we test performance trends at the end of every phase in the GET Band. The tests tell us exactly what we have to do to improve performance in language and mathematics, which provide the foundation for all learning. We use the data to plan remedial interventions on all levels, including teacher training and support, school leadership and management support, and improvement plans for schools, districts and the department as a whole.

Independent service providers set, administer and mark the tests to provide objective results needed to compare progress reliably year-onyear, and to identify areas needing attention.

The tests are central to achieving the department’s three strategic objectives, namely to: A Improve learner performance in languages and mathematics A Increase the number and improve the quality of passes in the National Senior CertiďŹ cate examinations A Improve access to quality education in poor communities The goals are all related. We have to build foundations for learning in primary schools to ensure sustained and improved learning in high school, good matric results, and success in further learning and the world of work.

We have to know exactly what we mean by quality education, and how we measure this, both qualitatively and quantitatively. We can’t ďŹ x what we can’t measure. The tests place no additional burden on learners. The learners concerned only write the tests once every three years, at the end of Grades 3, 6 and 9. The tests take place on only one day. Given the value of the tests to the entire system, the time set aside for these tests is time well spent. The tests represent no burden for teachers, because independent service providers set, administer and mark the tests. It is important to assess the progress of each cohort as it advances from Grade 3 to Grades 6 and 9. This provides us with an understanding of what interventions are working for any particular cohort.

The WCED has implemented a wide range of interventions over the years, based on test results, including the following: 1. A targeted, six-year training and support programme for about 800 primary schools, alternating annually between language and mathematics. Teachers responded well to the training, according to independent research. 2. Ongoing development of our Language and Mathematics strategies, based on lessons learned from testing and previous interventions. We introduced the latest strategies this year. 3. Ongoing training at the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute, the WCED’s in-service training centre. This training focuses mainly on language and mathematics. The WCED’s budget for training this year is R146 million.

4. Ongoing support by subject advisors and service providers in districts to assist schools that need this support the most. 5. Detailed feedback to schools on the systemic test results that they can use to develop school improvement plans, with the help of district subject advisors, if necessary. 6. The WCED is committed to ongoing innovation to test appropriate interventions. These include a current project involving 105 primary schools that is assessing ways of improving teaching and learning; school, classroom and subject management; and parental involvement.

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Below: The school hall of Pineview Primary School in Grabouw

PROJECTS

Infrastructure projects on track T

he Western Cape Education Department has budgeted a total of R1,29 billion in 2016/17 for building and refurbishing school infrastructure across the province.

This includes a number of new school buildings and replacement schools commissioned for the WCED by the Department of Transport and Public Works. The new Worcester High School is expected to be ready for the 2017 academic year and will provide top-quality accommodation for 1 250 learners, as well as sports fields and other amenities. The construction of the R61 million project started in August 2015 and was expected to have been completed by early October this year. Most of the school buildings will consist of a framed concrete structure and a mixture of face brick and painted infill walls. Teaching facilities will comprise 33 standard classrooms, two multipurpose classrooms, two science laboratory rooms, and a media room. The complex will also have a hall with toilet facilities, an administrative building and caretaker’s facilities, as well two netball courts and a rugby field. All classrooms will enjoy a lot of natural light and be well ventilated. The site will be landscaped with a combination of grass and perennial flowering plants, including planters in the courtyard. The building has some capacity to harvest rainwater for irrigation, which will reduce the consumption of this precious resource and lead to long-term cost savings for the school. Construction of a new high school in Eerste River started on 30 June 2016. Once the R60 million project is complete in mid-2017, it will alleviate

overcrowding at other schools in the vicinity. The school will provide accommodation for 1 200 learners. Phase 1 will include the construction of the classrooms and administrative building. Phase 2 will include the construction of external works, landscaping and the school hall. Teaching facilities will comprise 33 standard classrooms, two multipurpose classrooms, two science laboratory rooms, and a media lab. The complex will also have a hall with toilet facilities, an administrative building and caretaker’s facilities as well as a sports field. Similar to Worcester High School, the Eerste River school will have a number of green features. Meanwhile, the construction of the new R62 million Bonnievale Primary School is expected to be completed in October 2017. The new buildings will replace the existing school. Learners have been temporarily accommodated in mobile structures nearby, and together with teaching staff, are excited to move back into a new school next year. Speaking at the sod-turning ceremony, Donald Grant, Minister of Transport and Public Works, said he was delighted that around one thousand learners from Bonnievale and Happy Valley will learn under improved conditions once the rebuilding of their school is complete.

“THIS EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IS SET TO BECOME A LANDMARK THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUNG LIVES FOR MANY YEARS TO COME IN THESE COMMUNITIES.”

Below: Worcester High School’s senior classrooms

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update is the official newspaper of the Western Cape Education Department. wcednews@westerncape.gov.za Tel: 021 467 2707 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION

Above: An artist’s impression of the new Bonnievale School Below: An artist’s impression of Eerste River High School

Paddy Attwell EDITOR

Millicent Merton CONTRIBUTORS

Michael Cameron Fazeela Haffejee Susan Hanekom Byron la Hoe Elize Morkel Suanne Rampou Roshin Schmidt Jessica Shelver UWC Makholwa Xotyeni DESIGN

Edumedia (WCED)

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SCIENCE

Learners celebrate National Science Week “South Africa has come a long way, but we need both thinkers and doers to go further. We need people who are

8 $ / $8 > - " *8 * > $ $ " $ " challenges facing our increasingly globalised world.�

AWA R D

So said University of the Western Cape (UWC) Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, speaking at the launch of National Science Week 2016, hosted at UWC on Saturday, 6 August 2016. National Science Week is an annual event aimed at celebrating the role that science, mathematics, engineering and technology play in everyday life, and encourages more young people to follow careers in these ďŹ elds. Prof Pretorius added that science and technology are vital drivers of human progress, vital to confronting issues like global climate change, poverty and scarce resources. In the face of these complexities, UWC has opted to position itself as an “engaged universityâ€? – a nexus of research, teaching and learning. “As an institution we have always stressed the importance of Science and its contribution

to our country and economy, and to global collaborations and progress,� he noted. Addressing an audience of over 3000 learners from across the Western Cape, NSW launch keynote speaker and Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, announced the “NextGen100� initiative which will help young innovators transform their innovative ideas into business ventures in the country.

We need to harness the innovative spirit of young people in addressing our development challenges.

“I am pleased today to launch this great initiative called “NextGen100â€? which will help the young to start their businesses in the technology ďŹ eld,â€? she said. Western Cape Premier Helen Zille noted that South African know-how and research capacity is involved in mega scientiďŹ c projects like the construction of the Square Kilometre Array. The Premier told learners that they are growing up in an exciting time and they must make use of it, as they are the next generation of knowledge workers - the leaders and scientists who will guide South Africa’s development. The NSW launch at UWC comes after the Science Learning Centre for Africa programme, under the leadership of Professor Shaheed Hartley and in partnership with the Garden City Archway Foundation, donated three new science labs to Inkwenkwezi High, Forest Heights High School and Sithembele Matiso.

George High School Learners awarded bursaries and laptops Ambrosha Claire-Felanie and Cetyine Mentoor * $ - # 5 8 High School were announced the provincial winners of the South African Youth ( : ; <=(: & competition is administered under two categories namely awareness and invention/ innovation. It is open for Mathematics and Science learners from Grades 9 – 11. As part of their prize they

will be able to study a water related course at a tertiary institution of their choice in South Africa. Pictured with them is Sabelo Magaqana, Western Cape Provincial co-coordinator of the 2020 Vision for Water and Sanitation Education Programme for the Department of Water and Sanitation and Marissa Murphy, a teacher at George High School.

Cravenby Secondary to debate Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Cravenby Secondary School will represent the Western Cape at the upcoming annual national South African Agency for Science and Technology <$- << <

$ competition in Gauteng. The team from Cravenby will compete against eight other provincial winners on 6 October. Nine schools with teams of ďŹ ve learners in Grades 9 to 11 participated in the provincial leg of the challenge. The topic for the debate was; ‘Do you think Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (HFCT) can improve

the quality of life for all South Africans by contributing signiďŹ cantly to the national energy supply or is HFCT more applicable in industry speciďŹ c local applications?’ Bellville High School and Parklands College were the runners up. The teams were judged on their ability to address the science topic and provide good solutions for the

future as well as present their ideas to an audience. Suanne Rampou, Senior Curriculum Planner for Natural Sciences, said all the teams presented well-formulated arguments for their opening statements which focussed mainly on a well-researched and structured prepared speech. Teams need to develop their

Cravenby Secondary School convinced the judges with their arguments from the opening to the closing statements.

skills to convince the judges with their response statements based on their listening skills, general knowledge of the topic and their ability and willingness to engage and formulate an argument without prior preparation. For their closing statement, the teams were expected to demonstrate their overall understanding of the

topic and to argue their stance with focus on their ability to recognise and use new information gained through the debating process and the mini-imbizos held during which learners interacted with one another, shared ideas and deliberations. We wish them well for the national competition.�

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Western Cape’s top maths and accounting learners honoured

Top: Western Cape Thuthuka Camp top accounting learner, Toshinga Dzrume, with Dr Terence Nombembe (SAICA CEO), Sandile Philip (SAICA Southern Region President) and Dr Glynis Schreuder (Western Cape Education Department)

Top performing Grade 12 learners from disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape gave up a week of their school holiday to take part in the province’s Thuthuka development camp, an initiative run by the South African Institute of Chartered < * <? < partnership with the Western Cape Department of Education. The learners received additional support in subjects like Mathematics, Science and Accounting as well as communication, career guidance and life skills at this year’s Thuthuka Camp at the Cape Academy for Mathematics, Science and Technology. At the camp’s award ceremony, four learners were honoured as the province’s brightest maths and accounting learners. Toshinga Dzrume of Mondale High School and Lauren Smith of Eben Donges High School were the top performing learners in Accounting, scoring 97% and 81% respectively. K (

OU # Mondale High School and AmrĂŠ X

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$ Mathematics. Dr Glynis Schreuder, Senior Curriculum Planner at the WCED said the learners had proven that they were committed to being successful, not only in their Grade 12 year but also in their future careers. “It is refreshing to be in the company of so many energetic and hopeful young people, particularly when we know what the challenges are out there for young people today.� Gugu Makhanya, SAICA Senior ) * - # # > said SAICA was very proud of all the learners who attended & \( $ to see how they perform in > * records indicate that many of the learners who attend these provincially-run camps each year make it onto the country’s top matric learner list.� Makhanya added that the camps were an important initiative in terms of assisting qualifying African and coloured learners who aspire to become chartered accountants ] < < ^&

Above: Western Cape Thuthuka Camp top maths learner, Jianni Williams, with Dr Terence Nombembe (SAICA CEO), Sandile Philip (SAICA Southern Region President) and Dr Glynis Schreuder (Western Cape Education Department)

Based on feedback by learners such as Jesse Blignaut, a matric learner at St Joseph’s Marist College in Rondebosch, this was indeed a likely outcome. “After this week, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, I know for sure that I want to be a chartered accountant.�

“I WALK AWAY STRONGER AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN WHEN I ARRIVED – MORE READY TO TACKLE MY FUTURE AND MORE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE I NEED TO ACTIVELY TAKE CHARGE OF MY FUTURE.�

Local computer 8 While all the attention was on South Africans winning medals at the Olympic Games in Rio, South Africa won another two bronze medals: this time at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). The medals were won by Ulrik de Muelenaere from Gauteng and Yaseen Mowzer from the Western Cape. The IOI is an annual competition which sets the brightest young computer programmers from across the world to compete as individuals against each other. This year the contest was held in Kazan, Russia and was attended by the best young programmers from 86 countries. The South African team consisted of four members. Yaseen Mowzer is currently in Grade 12 at Fairbairn College in the Western Cape. He also won bronze

medals at the IOI in Kazakhstan last year and the International Mathematics Olympiad earlier this year. Bronson Rudner is currently in Grade 12 at SACS in the Western Cape and Laurens Weyn was in Grade 12 at Abbotts College, Century City when he was selected to join the IOI team. “The IOI is extremely tough,� explained Peter Waker, the Manager of the Standard Bank Programming Olympiad. “In many countries teams are in special schools where they receive dedicated training to prepare them for the IOI. All our team members come from ordinary schools yet do extremely well each year. To give you some idea; our team member who was lowest in the South African team still beat the entire teams from Nigeria, Luxembourg and Sri Lanka.�

Western Cape learner wins gold in Applications Olympiad Tauhir Ahmed of Islamia College in Cape Town emerged top among the ten ďŹ nalists from ďŹ ve provinces in the Applications Olympiad. Besides winning the gold medal, he competed in the Microsoft OfďŹ ce Specialist world championships in Florida, USA, early in August. The Applications Olympiad challenges participants to use common computer applications such as word processors, spreadsheets and databases to solve a set of problems. Of the 10 983 who entered the Olympiad, ten reached the ďŹ nal round which was held at Bergvliet High in Cape Town during the winter school holiday. The ďŹ nal round included two one-hour tests and a fourhour project on the theme of the Summer Olympic Games. The project required them to prepare an A3 Infoposter which the Olympic Committee can use in schools to promote the Olympics. During the project they also had to teach themselves a new skill that was not in the

school curriculum. For this they were given an 8-page document headed “How to create a pivot table and manipulate it�. One learner wrote after the project “I didn’t even know computers can do things like that.� Tauhir takes both IT and CAT at his school. His interests include playing cricket and gaming (his favourite is playing GTA with friends).

AWA R D S

LEARNER SUPPORT

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eLEARNING

Campaign invites teachers to “make a video make a difference� Model schools to demonstrate best practice in eLearning T

he Western Cape Education Department has appointed the 8 # X $ schools for the province’s eLearning programme.

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# Western Cape schools have helped to make a video to encourage other teachers to make videos to support teaching and learning.

The video forms part of a campaign launched by the Western Cape Education Department to promote eLearning and to encourage teachers to develop digital resources that they can share with others. Collaboration is a key theme of the department’s eLearning programme. The WCED has designed the department’s eLearning portal (the “ePortal�) to facilitate collaboration by all sectors, including the public and private sectors and civil society. Any developer of CAPS-aligned eLearning content can register their work on the ePortal, along with digital resources sourced and developed by subject advisors and others at the WCED. The WCED has included facilities to review and moderate all content contributed to the ePortal to ensure relevance and quality assurance.

The WCED has produced two videos for the campaign. The ďŹ rst “how-toâ€? video explains how to use the ePortal to ďŹ nd digital teaching and learning materials. The second explains how to make a video in six easy steps. The video encourages teachers to upload their videos to YouTube and register them on the ePortal. Six teachers helped to make the video. They are Michelle Fester of Rouxville Primary; Charnelle Hector, Belmor Primary; GaďŹ eza Ismail,

Spine Road Secondary; Sameerah Fredericks, Macassar High; Amandla Vinjwa, Sivile Primary; and Taryn Mackenzie, of St Cyprian’s. The teachers are also trying their hand at making videos, which they will register on the ePortal. They are using whatever technology they have available, from smartphones to cameras and laptops, and materials that they normally make themselves as they prepare their lessons. The theme of the campaign is “Make a video. Make a differenceâ€?. Other elements of the campaign include a campaign web site that provides tips on making videos, links to the “how-toâ€? videos and other content. A WCED ePortal Facebook page is providing regular posts on how to contribute content to the ePortal and how to use the ePortal and eLearning to support teaching and learning. The WCED will be sending out colourful emails to principals and teachers drawing attention to the ePortal. Principals and school administrators will also notice the landing page for the Western Cape new schools email system, that include colourful references to the ePortal and its beneďŹ ts. At the end of the day, teachers and principals will have to drive the process of introducing eLearning into their classrooms, and to share digital content that they source and develop. The WCED is therefore deeply grateful to the teachers who have helped so far to get this campaign off the ground. This is an excellent example of making education better together.

Tips on making a good educational video 1

Choosing a lesson. Decide what you want to teach with your video. The best educational videos are no longer than 6 minutes.

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Pick your style. There are many different kinds of educational video, like speaking directly to the camera, or recording as you write down sums, or even animated slideshows or videos. Watch educational videos online and on the ePortal to ďŹ nd the style that will work best for your video.

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Writing a script. Even if you have taught your lesson hundreds of times,make sure to write a script of what you are going to say before recording your video.

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Collect your resources. You can use any of the following to make a video: smartphones, video camera, computer, tablet, projector, smart board, digital audio recorder, microphone, visual aids like maps or graphs. Figure out what you have access to and can use for your video.

5

Recording a video. When ďŹ lming, make sure your phone is stable by using a tripod or propping it up on a at surface.

The aim of the Western Cape Government’s eLearning Game Changer programme is to use technology to enhance teaching and learning in Western Cape schools. The WCED is the lead department responsible for the programme. The department is aware that experience in using eLearning differs from school to school. Some are more advanced, while others provide excellent sites for testing new ideas in diverse conditions. For this reason, the WCED has identiďŹ ed three types of schools for the programme, which will initially receive different kinds of support. All schools will beneďŹ t from the programme. The three types of school are Universal, Enhanced and Model schools. These schools will play speciďŹ c roles in the introduction of eLearning. Model schools already demonstrate or have the potential of providing leadership in the introduction of eLearning, and the WCED is committed to working with these schools to develop the potential of eLearning in all schools.

As part of a Memorandum of Agreement, Model Schools are expected to do the following: A Collaborate with the WCED on establishing a full eLearning environment at the school A Integrate eLearning into everyday teaching and learning practice A Contribute to developing eLearning resources A Ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to secure the technology provided A Provide leadership by demonstrating best practice in eLearning A Contribute towards developing leaders in eLearning A Share knowledge on eLearning

with fellow educators, ofďŹ cials and other interested parties A Collaborate with the WCED towards developing eAdministration systems, including the appropriate use of data used to inform strategic planning and support

The WCED shall undertake the following activities under this MOA: A Provide access to high-speed, broadband via a wide area network (WAN) linking all Western Cape schools, district ofďŹ ces, head ofďŹ ce, and related sites A Provide a local area network (LAN) in the Model School A Provide internet access via the WCED ePortal A Ensure that all classes in the Model School are Smart Classrooms, by providing and installing the necessary technology A Allocate appropriate devices so that all learners have access to and the use of appropriate devices A Collaborate with Model Schools on developing and showcasing best eLearning practice A Provide teacher training and support, as required A Collaborate with the Model School on developing and sourcing relevant digital resources A Collaborate with the Model School on appropriate eAdministration systems that can be applied widely A Support the Model School in providing leadership in eLearning, and developing leadership in the ďŹ eld A Collaborate with the Model School in developing a Professional eLearning Community in the Western Cape A Collaborate with Model School on developing the knowledge and skills of principals and teachers in eLearning A Support and help drive the adoption of eLearning in the province A Contribute to building an eCulture in Western Cape schools

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Schools conďŹ dent about eReadiness “We are ready for eLearningâ€? – This was the response of more than 80% of teachers and principals who took part in a WCED survey on eReadiness recently.

The assessment was done to determine schools’ Information, Communication $

8" ? * > including information on the 8 ? # * * > technology, policies and

support in place to implement ICT integration and the current use of ICT. The results indicated that most schools were ready for, and accepted the importance of eLearning.

< # xZ $ 3141 teachers took part in the survey. < $ }U # teachers revealed that they $

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that their principal encouraged the use of ICT. More than 40% of respondents attended ICT training courses through the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute.

Technology boosts effective school management W

ynberg Boys High

school in South Africa to use Capita SIMS as its school management software.

It was being rolled out in various phases and will revolutionise how the school was able to operate – both behind the scenes and from the parents and students perspective. Education Update asked Ben Thompson, Vice Principal: Academic, to tell us how the programme assisted with the management of their school.

SOMEONE SMARTER THAN ME: “IT DOES PUSH-CONTENT�

Me: “Er, what do you mean?â€? SSTM: “Well, when you make a change in one place, like a teacher gives a pupil a merit or demerit electronically in their class, anybody who has set up their dashboard to monitor a group that this pupil is linked to will automatically be notiďŹ ed, live, in real-timeâ€?

The conversation above, and many more like it, was had with Capita SIMS, provided locally by the EDU 365 Group Ltd, when a group at our school was tasked with investigating school management systems. In due course we took a proposal to our school governing body with the following motivation – there is only one system out there that will help us better understand our students. Thanks to the vision of our governing body we are now the ďŹ rst school in South Africa to use the Capita SIMS suite of products. Our staff interact daily with SIMS starting with the dashboard shown. Below are just a few speciďŹ c examples of how SIMS has improved our operation on a daily basis:

Pastoral care and behaviour management Our school is split into eight houses, each with a House Head whose primary function is to manage the wellbeing of our students. If a student is given a merit or demerit during lessons, SIMS pushes their name and the merit/demerit reason to appear on the dashboard of their tutor and House Head.

THE LOOK ON A LEARNERS FACE WHEN THE HOUSE HEAD PRAISES THEM FOR GETTING OVER 80% IN A TEST – THAT THEY HAVE NOT TOLD ANYONE ABOUT YET – IS PRICELESS. So is their look of wonder when asked, as they are passed in the corridor, why they have not done their Afrikaans or Maths homework today and why were they late for Geography. This is where the idea of understanding our pupils is enhanced: SIMS sends our House Heads live data on their particular

group of students. If a House Head did not have time to monitor their dashboard that day – as we are all busy teachers – not to worry, SIMS has assigned plus and minus points to all recorded behaviour types. So the student mentioned earlier who was having a bad day will have racked up minus thirty points and can automatically be notiďŹ ed that they must ‘See House Head’ in the daily bulletin.

Managing staff The bringer of bad news – our Cover Supervisor – now uses SIMS to organise lesson cover for absent teachers. He simply tells SIMS who is absent, and it tells him which staff are free when there is a class that needs to be covered. This list can even be prioritised to not include part time teachers, or only to include interns, for example. The cover supervisor then clicks on a lucky colleague to cover the lesson – and that’s it. SIMS does the rest. It automatically updates the selected teacher’s timetable to include the new class. It tells them where they need to be, when to be there and the class register appears – with photographs if needed. SIMS can also email the teacher covering the lesson with the notiďŹ cation and even SMS them if they are particularly forgetful.

Communication from one database If a teacher wants to communicate electronically with parents of their class, grade or sports team the usual way is for them to maintain their own database of current email addresses.

WITH SIMS, IF ONE PERSON, SUCH AS A SCHOOL SECRETARY, UPDATES CONTACT INFORMATION ALL USERS OF THAT INFORMATION WILL BE USING THE NEW ADDRESS WITHOUT HAVING TO DO ANYTHING. If a new learner has been assigned to any of these kinds of groups – for example a new student arrives in class 9B and a message is sent to the class, SIMS includes the new pupil in that communication without the teacher having to update anything of their own.

When we were able to demonstrate to our staff how much more effective and efďŹ cient they can be with SIMS it was a much easier path to walk than we imagined at the start of the journey. These are just three examples of how our school management system can help us improve our internal processes. We decided to implement SIMS on a modular basis and have not yet even started to use things like Admissions where all applications are submitted electronically, Examination Organiser that generates seating plans and alerts if there are subject clashes, SEN and its conďŹ dential document library for educational psychologist reports, Staff Appraisal allowing teachers to capture their own CPD which is then accessible to all line managers or Fees and Billing – to name just a few. Our school is lucky to have a very professional group of teachers, but managing major infrastructural change is one of the big challenges that a school leadership team has to face.

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GAME CHANGERS

Provincial Game Changers Strategy unpacked at Principals’ Breakfast F

alse Bay TVET College hosted a Principals’ Breakfast # > Conference Centre in Muizenberg on Friday, Z%<*8* &

TVET COLLEGES

An annual occurrence, this event brings together principals, life-orientation teachers and district managers of schools in the Cape Town Metropole. With an estimated 80 guests in attendance, the event was geared towards strengthening college-school relationships and sharing valuable education and training information and trends. Dr Florus PJ Prinsloo delivered a speech on “Game changers and the top 100 occupations in high demand�. Prinsloo has been involved with skills-development at a provincial level since 2004 and is currently a Technical Advisor on TVET in the Department of Premier in the Western Cape Government. His presentation looked at key areas within the game changers strategy, namely: skills, energy, security,

broadband, eLearning, after schools programmes, better living models and alcohol harms reduction. He highlighted the provinces’ ambitious intervention plan, aimed at tackling and leveraging the best possible outcomes to bolster economic growth, job creation and social inclusion.

AN AMBASSADOR FOR LIFE-LONG LEARNING, DR PRINSLOO ADVOCATES THE PRINCIPLE: “YOU LEARN, BY DOING�.

Assemblers. Many of the training programmes offered at the Z )

8 *8 * South Africa are aligned to these sectors. Closing the breakfast, Cassie Kruger, False Bay TVET College CEO and Principal announced that False Bay TVET College would award two college bursaries to each school in the college’s geographical foot print, aimed at students from the “missing middle� band.

? Z> ' # Higher Education and Training published a list of the top 100 occupations in high demand which lists occupations with strong employment growth, and which responds to skills shortages in the labour market. These occupations are located in the following sectors: Agricultural, Forestry, Craft and Related Trades Workers, Plant and Machine Operators and

More about False Bay TVET College

WCED’s bold initiative to fast-track learners onto a career path

False Bay TVET College offers Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at ďŹ ve campuses across the Cape Town Metropole. It is one of six TVET colleges serving the Western Cape that not only contribute to economic growth through the development of the workforce, but combat youth unemployment by equipping students with marketable skills

The Western Cape Education Department’s Youth Focus programme (YFP) has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception three years ago. In 2013, the WCED introduced a pilot project called the Youth Focus Project (YFP) to enhance learner support in Grade 9. The intention of this project is to target Grade 9 repeat failures and provide them with skills, with the assistance of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and Adult Education and Training (AET) Centres. The project provides a twelve month funded bridging programme which culminates in an occupation orientated qualiďŹ cation at TVET

that ensure work readiness. One of the top performing TVET colleges in the country, False Bay TVET College offers entry into career paths in Engineering, Business, Hospitality, Information Technology, Safety in Society, Education Studies, 2D Animation, Tourism and Boat Building. For more information, visit http://www.falsebaycollege.co.za/

Colleges, or a skills programme for learners wanting to take this option. To date, the WCED has matched 2 000 Grade 9 learners to TVET colleges across the province. The Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA) is a valuable partner to the Youth Focus Project of the WCED. In 2015 and 2016 the W&RSETA contributed R22 million towards the Youth Focus Project that aims to assist 480 youth not in education, employment, or training, who have completed a bridging programme funded by the WCED, to achieve a National CertiďŹ cate: Wholesale and Retail Operations. Over and above this investment, the W&RSETA also funded the establishment of retail training centres at participating colleges

to assist with the training and improvement of skills of the students selected for the wholesale and retail learnership programmes. They also fostered relationships with business to host these learners for the duration of these programmes, and to further support the TVET’s by establishing retail simulation centres and implementing lecturer capacitation sessions. For the 2016/17 ďŹ nancial year, the WCED allocated R49.056 million towards this programme. A total of 60 students are currently participating in a Wholesale and Retail Level 3 programme at Northlink and Boland College, also funded by W&RSETA. These students have successfully progressed through the college system during the last three years.

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W O R K C U LT U R E

WCED to deliver services with compassion and accountability The Western Cape Education Department will continue building on its strengths as well as supporting and emphasising the important role of principals and teachers, while placing compassion at the centre of its work. This is according to Acting Head of Education, Brian Schreuder, in an interview shortly after assuming the mammoth task of steering the department while still fulfilling some of his responsibilities as Deputy Director-General: Curriculum and Assessment Management.

“THE WCED IS ON A VERY GOOD PATH. WE DELIVER GOOD RESULTS, HAVE SHOWN IMPROVEMENT IN STRATEGIC ASSESSMENTS, FEWER SCHOOLS ARE UNDERPERFORMING AND WE HAVE TARGETS AND GOALS IN PLACE. OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM IS STRONG AND OUR PROCESSES ARE WELL ESTABLISHED. THERE IS NO CHANGE IN DIRECTION.” Schreuder said in the interim period, until a permanent appointment is made, he would like to ensure that the department maintained its high levels of functioning while working on improving the climate, heart, character and humanity of the organisation. Schreuder, who after nearly 42 years in education is no stranger to working long hours, lauded his management team for their support. He added that the senior management was unified in their commitment to manage education to the optimum benefit of all learners and teachers. Issues such as accusations of elements of racism, schools’ Codes of Conduct that did not keep pace with our changing society as well as incidents of vandalism and damage to school property by learners were worrying, Schreuder said. “These are aspects that need to be addressed sooner to prevent them from escalating. At the same time we must ensure that the

authority of school principals and teachers is respected and we must understand the need for rules, order and discipline in schools. It is incontestable, you cannot have an organisation, especially one charged with educating the youth, where this is not emphasised. The partnerships and relationships between teachers and learners are critical and the ways in which discipline and authority are practised must be with compassion, mutual respect and in the interests of learners. If these aspects can function in harmony in a school then we will have a happy school and that is also why we asked that schools review their Codes of Conduct, just to ensure that they are aligned with the Constitution, up to date with the changing diversity of our school communities and so that they are reasonable and fair. After it has been through the consultation process and is accepted, learners should know that they must act according to that Code of Conduct and that they will be held accountable to abide by it. There cannot be anarchy and everyone cannot be allowed to do what they want. Education is aimed at educating children in the values of the community and society as a whole.” Schreuder is turning 65 in March next year and the post of Deputy Director-General: Curriculum and Assessment Management has already been advertised and is in the process of being filled to ensure a seamless handover.

New WCED appointments • Clinton Walker, Director: eLearning Clinton Walker is the unassuming new lead at the helm of the eLearning directorate tasked with accelerating the eLearning Game Changer of the Western Cape Education Department. The vision he shares is one that sees learners from every corner of the Western Cape and beyond have equal access to learning and teaching opportunities. This is a tall order that would see the next few years being devoted to creating the enabling environment towards achieving this. Walker said what may seem as a technology drive was in fact a curriculum drive – a simple focus that was oft overlooked when one considered the tangible technology stuff versus the intangible gempolishing that was enabled. It was for this reason that the eLearning

directorate fulfilled the role of mediating between the technical and the curriculum. The eLearning directorate needed to ensure that the conversations between those leading the teacher professional development, the GET and FET directorates, assessment

• Devigi Pillay, Director: Service Benefits Devigi Pillay has assumed duty as Director: Service Benefits on Wednesday, 1 June 2016. She has a Masters’ degree in Education. As a Deputy Director in Human Resources at the Department of Basic Education, she gained extensive experience in service benefits and many other HR functions. She spent a year as

• Brett Blackburn, Chief Director: Infrastructure Delivery Management Systems (IDMS) Strategic and Technical Adviser Brett Blackburn has been appointed Chief Director: Infrastructure Delivery Management Systems (IDMS) Strategic and Technical Adviser with effect 1 April 2016. He is a Professional Architect with a post-graduate qualification in Property Studies from UCT and, prior to this appointment, he was the Director: Infrastructure Programme Delivery at the WCG: Department of Health. His professional expertise is in the planning, design and delivery

of infrastructure projects in a wide range of building industry sectors. He has experience of working in both the private and public sector in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

and examinations, finance, procurement, the technical support teams and many others were sound, heard, understood and acting upon. It was obvious to see that Walker played a bridgebuilding role within a newly established directorate. Walker viewed himself still as an English teacher encouraged by the voice of the spoken and unspoken word to convey meaning. How more critical is that in the world of social media in which our kids find themselves. His two dogs enjoy taking himself, his wife Portia, their two sons and daughter on extended sunset-beach-strolls. On the rare occasions that he is not doing office work he reads, on his phone, on his tablet, on his other tablet, on his notebook and sometimes a paper book.

Head of Department: Quality Management at Elangeni FET and eight years at the DBE in HR Planning, Provision and Monitoring. Pillay said she has a passion to make a difference in the present. Her hobbies include reading, writing and watching movies. The WCED welcomes her to the exciting possibilities at the department.

Brett is a sports enthusiast and enjoys swimming, trail running and cycling, amongst other more leisurely pursuits such as fishing and reading. He has travelled fairly extensively in South Africa and whilst working in the United Kingdom. He is a family man at heart and is currently involved in coaching young children in mini-rugby (winter) and surf lifesaving (summer). Brett readily identifies with WCED’s strategic goals and he aims to make a positive contribution towards improving the planning and delivery of school infrastructure in the Western Cape.

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NUTRITION

Conference reviews issues in managing nutrition

* : 8 : > the Western Cape Education Department’s Inclusive and Specialised Education Support Directorate, hosted a mini # #

8 # 8 $ 8

* 8 8 programme at school.

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he two-day conference at the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute in Kuils River was attended by representatives from the Department of Basic )$* > [ $ # > districts, schools and social partners.

A total of 473 770 learners from 1 015 schools currently receive two nutritious meals in the Western Cape every day. This included all Quintile 1-3 schools, 310 Quintile 4 and 5 schools serving learners in poorer communities, and 44 special needs schools. The department has designed the menus to ensure that children receive adequate nutrition that they need to learn and play. Menus were designed by dieticians to improve the general nutritional status of the children and consist of warm, cooked meals. There were ďŹ ve different menus for each day of the week. The menus typically include rice, samp, soya mince, a protein, fruit, vegetables, bread, jam, peanut butter and cereals. This programme has expanded year on year, with allocations to the feeding programme having more than doubled since 2009/2010. The amount allocated to the programme for the 2016/2017 ďŹ nancial year was just over R315 million. Lindelwa Sopotela, provincial manager of the NSNP, said the miniconference aimed to inform about the objectives of the programme namely to: A provide nutritious meals to learners as to improve their ability to learn; A teach learners and parents on ways of living a healthy lifestyle; A share best practices for using improved menu options within the NSNP’s limited budget; and A provide practical advice on how to set up a food garden and promote community involvement in support of the programme. The conference also aimed in promoting the Deworming Campaign that was launched in February 2016 within the NSNP. There was a presentation on a study conducted in Western Kenya in 1998-2001 on

School Based Deworming by J-PAL Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab.

In the short run: A deworming improved the health of both treated and untreated children A school attendance improved by almost 28 days in that year A absenteeism decreased by 7.5% in a quarter

In the long run: A tremendous improvements in health and education contributed to signiďŹ cantly improved outcomes as young adults were healthier, more educated and more productive A the health and cognition of young children improved A Lower rates of anemia, selfreported illness and modest gains in height-for-age-Z-scores, a measure of nutrition, were experienced. The promotion of health education was also part of this campaign particularly the washing of hands by learners before eating to prevent germs from spreading from hands to food and not to get sick easily. Panorama Primary School in Vredenburg won second place in the 2015/16 Best School Awards. The learners attending the school come from a very poor community and most parents are pensioners and jobless. The school feeding programme consists of three devoted ladies who prepare breakfast and

“The learners are more energetic and enjoy their

Above: The garden at Panorama Primary School

lunch) for 583 meals every day. The learners from wonderful warm atmosphere Monday to in the programme also Friday. motivates learners to come The Principal, to school. It is wonderful to Allan Dreyden, know that the school can said the provide a decent meal programme was for the learners.â€? doing extremely well with the support of Transnet Port Terminals. “Transnet installed a fully equipped kitchen for the school in May 2011 and the school also works Above: Panorama Primary School’s bountiful harvest with the Department of Agriculture to maintain the food garden.â€? Dreyden said the programme has also improved the academic performance of learners. Juandre September and Solly Robertson of De Waalville Primary School in Heidelberg told delegates how the school started a garden in 2005 under the mentorship of the previous principal Cynthia Roberts and Avril Geldenhuys, the current Eco School Coordinator. Earlier this year, De Waalville Primary won the Provincial NSNP School Garden competition. Besides bragging rights, the school bagged R25 000 in prize money. De Waalville won the national competition in 2012. Ralph Jacobs, the principal, said it was a huge achievement for the Above: Panorama Primary School won second place school. He made special mention in the National Best School Awards. of the school’s gardener, NaudĂŠ Michaels, better known as oom Pygel. The school is also supported Below: The three ladies who prepare the meals for learners by various partners including a local at Panorama Primary School with the trophy the school won farmer, the local municipality and in the Best School Awards. various government departments.

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Managing and teaching diversity in schools Diversity issues are trending in many schools, especially high schools. Dr Elize Morkel, a Clinical Psychologist, was the keynote speaker at a conference organised by the X )$* ' # # > * / and challenge the realities we are confronted with in schools. There are many factors about our diverse South African society that have both the potential to bind us together or create deep divisions amongst people. Amongst these categories that we have created and live with is language, culture, religion, gender, age, ďŹ nancial status, sexuality, physical/cognitive ability etc. Depending on the context in which we ďŹ nd ourselves we will ďŹ nd these factors either uniting or divisive. The question is: How do we deal with diversity and the de-humanizing and violating potential that it creates within our classrooms and staffrooms? How do we become part of the solution for a deeply divided South Africa? How can we deal with our history, our personal historical positioning and how it still affects us 20+ years into democracy?

LANGUAGE, POWER AND KNOWLEDGE We use language to create boxes. To categorise and label things and people help us with clearer understanding, better communication and has many other advantages. Unfortunately it also happens that these categories become so ďŹ xed in our minds that we might start missing other possibilities or explanations. This might have limiting and even detrimental effects. Categorizing people into groups create the idea of

If we scrutinize our language we will be become aware of our underlying beliefs. This stereotyping is also expressed in our behaviour towards others – in our body posture, eye contact, facial expression, tone of voice etc. We might manage to adhere to politically correct language, but if we carry prejudice in our hearts we will communicate it in some way or another.

ACCOUNTABILITY Our accountability for our actions is NOT TO OUR INTENTIONS, but TO THE EFFECT OF THOSE ACTIONS ON OTHERS. What does this mean? If somebody tells me that I have offended her or him, I may explain that it was not my intention to offend. BUT I have to accept that I responded or acted from a blind spot (unaware position) and that I did hurt or offend. By listening carefully to what it is that the other person found offensive and then apologise I will become more aware and act in an empowered way. Example: A teacher tells the Gr 1’s to take a note about an

AWARENESS AND EMPOWERMENT Sharing of personal stories, experiences and beliefs Through the sharing of stories we start appreciate our sameness as human beings, but also start understanding and appreciate the differences in our histories, our experiences and our understandings.

Spending time and being prepared to listen If you are seeking to respond to people from an aware and empowered position you have to be prepared to invest time. You have to be prepared to put aside your own assumptions and prejudices in order to listen with an open heart. It TAKES TIME – not a quick ďŹ x!

Working together towards common goals When people share a common goal and have joint vested interests it joins them together. Schools are very, very well-positioned to accomplish this goal in a community of diversity.

Working with cultural consultants When you deal with people who are from a different group it is very helpful to consult with a person from that group with whom you have developed a relationship of trust. This person will be aware of your good intentions and will want to inform and guide you. You could test your ideas, your language and your approach with that person in order not to offend.

“usâ€? and “themâ€? which in itself is not a problem if we are all regarded as equal and treated with dignity and respect. However the problem arises when there is competition or when one group is seen as superior to the other like in the case of people living with disabilities or people who do not ďŹ t the heterosexual norms of society etc. This is when we start becoming blind to our similarities and start focussing on the differences to the point where we stereotype people in terms of our higher or lower expectations of them according to the assumed inferiority or superiority. Language reects realties - what we believe and how we think. It is often in the way that we speak that these stereotypes become apparent.

Those with more power in any relationship or context will be taken more seriously when they speak. Principals and teachers are very powerful people within the school system. Children/learners are often voiceless. Some parents possess power because of ďŹ nancial or public status while others have far less power. If we want to respond from an Aware and Empowered position we have to put aside our own assumptions and hold our own beliefs lightly in order to become aware of the other person’s reality.

arrangement for the next day and “give it to your mothers�. A friend’s daughter gets home highly upset. “What about the fathers?� she asks. “Dad picks me up, why can’t I give him the note?� Underlying assumption: It is normal for mothers to be responsible for childcare arrangements. Fathers should not/need not be included.

WHAT ARE OUR CENTRAL VALUES? We live in a consumer society which is obsessed with health and wealth. Values that drive such a society are: productivity, achievement, excellence. In educational institutions this is translated into a drive to unleash the potential of children. We know

that, unfortunately, the inequality that we see in South African society at large is often also reected in the educational opportunities that schools are able to offer in various areas. Education in South Africa is not an equal playing ďŹ eld. I see the following dangers of excellence as the only driving value: A Competitiveness could result in the marginalization of those who do not ďŹ t in and might be perceived to steal other learners’ time, resources or opportunities; A In under-resourced schools with learners from disadvantaged backgrounds teachers might feel over-whelmed by the perceived lack of potential, delays related to deprivation; complex social and emotional problems and lack of community support and involvement. Such teachers might feel that they just give up as they will never be able to compete or achieve anyway. We have a Constitution that values the human dignity of each individual person. If this is our central value in schools we have to take the time and effort to live this value in our staffrooms and teach this value in the classrooms. Then we have to hold excellence with the one hand and respect for individual needs and contexts in the other hand. This has huge implications for the way we think about the Code of Conduct of a school. It cannot be a top-down, a-contextual document. The context of the community that forms the school in all of its complexities and challenges must inform the values that the school focuses on. It is from these values that we formulate the practical rules for behaviour. Such a Code of Conduct will translate into a community of learners that live and practice values in ways that will not be in conict with their personal beliefs or irrelevant to their histories and experiences.

CONCLUSION Schools are ideally positioned to transform societies. Social transformation starts with our young people. The divisions in South Africa can be transformed into a celebration of diversity. It requires hard work, stamina and a willingness to learn, but holds potential for deep joy like I experienced in the ďŹ ve years that I worked in schools for the Deaf.

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EDULIS

Catch them young with picture books

EDULIS

Teachers and schools can borrow stimulating reading # )' +? & !* # # what’s available.

HOW DO I BORROW THESE RESOURCES? Become a member by contacting your Education District Resource Centre / EDULIS Library or you can register electronically. Membership is FREE. Electronic registration GO TO http://tinyurl.com/ registration-edulis

OR go to our website: http://edulis.pgwc.gov.za Click on “EDULIS� on the Curriculum website Click on Register as member (read “Terms & conditions�) Click on “Library Membership Registration Form� Complete the form and submit

1

EVEN MONSTERS NEED HAIRCUTS. McElligott, M.

2

LEAVE ME ALONE. Gray, K.

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HUGLESS DOUGLAS AND THE BIG SLEEP. Melling, D.

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APRIL UNDERHILL, TOOTH FAIRY. Graham, B.

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DEAR ZOO. Campbell, R.

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LITTLE MOUSE’S BIG BOOK OF FEARS. Gravett. E.

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BABY FARM. Russell, H.

8

TOAD MAKES A ROAD. > :&‚&

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COWBOYS KAN OOK JAMMER SĂŠ. Knapman, T.

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DIE SEEKOEI WAT GELUKKIG WAS. Elliot, R.

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DIE BESTE TROETELDIER! Taylor, T.

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WIE’S MY ONTBYT? Freedman, C.

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DIRK SLAAP OOR. Melling, D.

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DIE DRAAK SE WENS. Taylor, D.

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DIE GOUE KRING. Meinderts, K.

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DIE OLIFANT WAT BANG WAS. Elliot, R.

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KAKHULU. Cooke, T.

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INGOMA KAJAMELA. Daly, N.

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USALMA OMHLE KUNENE. Daly, N.

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UTSHIKI. De Villiers, L.

21

LINQAKU! Javaherbin, M.

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IZINTO EZITHENGWE NGUMAMA SEBONA. Mac, S.

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ESONA-SONA SIDLO! Magona, S.

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KUDALA-DALA: IBALI NEMIFANEKISO. Daly, N.

CONTACT DETAILS EDULIS Library Tel: 021 957 9618 Fax: 021 948 0748 edulis@westerncape.gov.za 1st Floor Middestad Mall Charl Malan Street BELLVILLE

Metropole South Carol van der Heever Brian O’Connell Resource Centre Tel: 021 370 2084 Fax: 021 372 1856 carol.vanderheever@westerncape.gov.za AZ Berman Drive Lengtegeur MITCHELLS PLAIN

EDULIS Library: Free postal service You can borrow books, DVDs, CDs and multimedia at no cost to you. Just become a member, request resources and EDULIS will send it to you via free return post. (BRS)

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C R E AT I V I T Y

Injongo Primary in Khayelitsha wins big in traditional music and dance T

welve learners from Injongo Primary School in Khayelitsha took part in the Baswa

X = * ( aimed at recognising the achievements of youth in educating society about integrated water resource management, promoting * # " as well as health and hygiene.

Pamela Mtati of Injongo Primary School and her Grade 6 Dance group who won Baswa le Meetse (Youth in Water) Award of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry for Traditional Music and Dance.

Learners were judged according to subject knowledge, relevance, originality, creativity and presentation. The selection process took place at district, provincial and national level. Learners from Unjongo Primary School who competed in the Traditional Music category took ďŹ rst position and was awarded a cash prize of R11 000 for the school as well as a media laboratory with

Durbanville Primary School was the top performing choir in the category for more experienced schools. Far right: Excelsior Primary School was named the best non-Afrikaans primary school.

W

estern Cape schools won several categories of the ATKV Applous Competition which saw the best school choirs compete against each other in Stellenbosch in August.

Johan Esterhuizen, manager: ATKV Youth Projects, said the Kruiskerk in Stellenbosch was a feast for choir connoisseurs and the and the judges had a tough time deciding on the winners.

“THE STANDARD WAS VERY HIGH AND ATKV APPLOUS IS PROUD TO BE PART OF THE REVIVAL OF SCHOOL CHOIRS IN SOUTH AFRICA.�

The annual competition was hosted by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The competition is for Grade 6 learners only. They can participate in the following categories: traditional music, poetic and praise singing, drama and posters.

THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION WAS: “WASHING HANDS, USE AND CARE OF SANITATION FACILITIES FOR A HEALTHY LIFE�.

Applous Choir Competition – WC

Wi-Fi for 24 months, sponsored by MTN. The computer lab has 21 brand new computers. Learners who took part in the Drama category won and R10 000. These learners who participated in arts activities therefore ensured that Injongo Primary School was R21 000 stronger! Learners and Dance teacher, Pamela Mtati, worked hard to achieve a very high standard in performance. This involved many hours of practising after school, during week-ends, holidays, and on public holidays. The learners demonstrated discipline, commitment and dedication and parents were supportive, all of which contributed to the outcome that exceeded all expectations. Hats off to

the principal, staff and the governing body who were very supportive during the provincial and national ďŹ nals. The school ensured that learners were dressed in brand new costumes. The Provincial competition took place in Worcester and for the national ďŹ nal competition, the learners travelled by plane to Port Elizabeth. This experience was a ďŹ rst for all and was crowned with a wonderful stay in a hotel during the three days of the competition. WCED Dance Teacher, Pamela Mtati said: “I encourage all primary schools to enter these competitions as it afford learners life changing opportunities such as bursaries, internships and memorable and enriching experiences.â€?

Durbanville High School with Maria Viviers as choirleader and Shari Theron as accompanist was announced as the best Afrikaans High School Choir. Best Afrikaans High School Boys Choir: Paarl Boys High Best Afrikaans High School Mixed Choir: Durbanville High School Best Afrikaans High School Girls’ Choir: La Rochelle Girls’ High Best performance of an Africa song by an Afrikaans High School: La Rochelle Girls’ High Best performance of a prescribed work: Durbanville High School AndrÊ van der Merwe’s Stellenberg High School Girls’ Choir was crowned the best experienced high school choir. Elzeth Germishuys is the accompanist. Stellenberg High won in the more experienced categories for mixed choirs and boys choirs. The choir was also named winners in the category for best performance of a prescribed work.

Paul Roos Gymnasium won in the category Best performance of an Africa song by a more experienced choir.

WESTERN CAPE SCHOOLS ACHIEVED THE FOLLOWING SCORES IN THE CATEGORY FOR MORE EXPERIENCED CHOIRS: HoĂŤrskool Stellenbosch 86.23% HoĂŤrskool De Kuilen 86.42% Paul Roos Gimnasium 87.07% HoĂŤrskool Stellenberg Seuns 87.29% HoĂŤrskool Stellenberg Meisies 94.37% Primary schools performed on Sunday, 7 August. Kenridge Primary School scored 83.43% in the category for Afrikaans schools. In the category for NonAfrikaans Primary Schools, De Kuilen Primary and Excelsior Primary (Bellville) scored 82.06% and 85.11% respectively. Excelsior Primary, under the direction of Tersia Jonck and with AdĂŠle Basson as accompanist, was named the best non-Afrikaans primary school choir. The school had the best performance of a prescribed work. In the category for more experienced choirs, Eversdal Primary, Gene Louw Primary and Durbanville Primary were the top performing schools with scores of 90.29%, 90.60% and 90.89% respectively. Durbanville Primary School, led by Anne-Marie Dippenaar and Riana Knoblauch, was named the best most experienced primary school choir. They also had the best performance of an Africa song. Gene Louw delivered the best performance of a prescribed work.

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noticeboard

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CIRCULARS

A quick guide to

CIRCULARS The Western Cape Education Department issued the following circulars and circular minutes during the period March 2016 to July 2016. • 0024/2016

Prohibition of corporal punishment http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e24_16.html

• 0023/2016

Final opportunity for non-section-21 schools to order additional stationery and cleaning materials online for use in 2017 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e23_16.html

• 0022/2016

Stipulations regarding the involvement of educators and public service employees in the local elections scheduled for 03 August 2016 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e22_16.html

• 0021/2016

Amended final timetable for the June 2016 Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Level 4 examinations http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e21_16.html

• 0020/2016

Online ordering facility on CEMIS for schools to order Grades 1 to 12 CAPS textbooks http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e20_16.html

• 0019/2016

Staggered lunch breaks for officebased employees at Grand Central Towers, Head Office http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e19_16.html

• 0018/2016

Final timetable and arrangements for The June 2016 ABET Level 4 examinations http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e18_16.html

• 0017/2016

Management of assessment accommodations for learners who experience barriers to learning and assessment: Grades R – 12 and for learners who request immigrant status for assessment purposes: Grades 4 – 12 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e17_16.html

• 0016/2016

Online ordering of stationery and cleaning materials in the 2016/17 financial year for all non-section 21 schools http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e16_16.html

• 0015/2016

Ordering of stationery and cleaning materials in the 2016/17 financial year for section 21 schools http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e15_16.html

• 0014/2016

Final timetable and arrangements for the October-November 2016 National Senior Certificate Examinations http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e14_16.html

• 0013/2016

• 0007/2016

Final timetable and arrangements for the May – July 2016 Senior Certificate Examination http://wced.school.za/circulars/ circulars16/e13_16.html

The offering of Mathematics as a compulsory subject with either Physical Sciences or Accounting in Grades 10 to 12 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edam7_16.html

EDUCATION PLANNING MINUTES

• 0006/2016

INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCE SUPPORT

• 0005/2016

Applications for new learner transport services for 2017 (new services and additional learners) http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/EPminutes/edir5_16.html

• 0004/2016

Final opportunity for online capturing of data about school furniture and equipment http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/EPminutes/edir4_16.html

• 0003/2016

Online system for registering of school inventory http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/EPminutes/edir3_16.html

• 0002/2016

Celebrating South African Library Week 2016 within the WCED http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/EPminutes/edir2_16.html

• 0001/2016

Improved automation of learner transport schemes at ordinary public schools http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/EPminutes/edir1_16.html KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• 0006/2016

CEMIS downtime due to system migration (1-4 Jly 2016) http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/EPminutes/edkm6_16.html

• 0005/2016

WCED Microsoft Schools Agreement – July 2015 to June 2020 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/EPminutes/edkm5_16.html

Amendments to examination guidelines: Computer Applications Technology for the National Senior Certificate in 2016 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edam6_16.html

• 0005/2016

Application for appointment as a marker for the National Senior Certificate and the Senior Certificate examinations http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edam5_16.html

• 0004/2016

Application for appointment as a marker for the National Senior Certificate and Senior Certificate examinations in the subjects with competency tests http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edam4_16.html

• 0003/2016

Application for positions of internal moderator, chief marker and marker for November 2016 ABET level 4 examinations http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edam3_16.html CAPE TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

• 0002/2016 2016 National Teaching Awards http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/ectli2_16.html • 0001/2016

Annual Provincial Language Solutions Conference – 28 and 29 June 2016 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/ectli1_16.html

CURRICULUM GET

• 0015/2016

ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT

Africa code week ‘train the trainer’ workshops for all Grades 3 to 10 teachers http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcg15_16.html

• 0009/2016

• 0014/2016

CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT MINUTES

Administration of a Common Assessment Task (CAT) for Grade 12 Life Orientation (LO) in 2016 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edam9_16.html

• 0008/2016

November 2016 National Senior Certificate examinations: procedures and guidelines for the conduct of the final practical examination in Design and Visual Arts http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edam8_16.html

Final notice of training for all Mathematics and English language teachers responsible for Grades 8 and 9 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcg14_16.html

• 0013/2016

Final notice of training for Grades 8 and 9 EMS teachers: 4-8 July 2016 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcg13_16. html

• 0012/2016

National Science Week incorporating Mathematics: 8 – 13 August 2016 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcg12_16.html

Level 4 examinations in 2016/17 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edea6_16.html

• 0005/2016

Early language and emergent literacy intervention for Grade R: 11–15 July 2016 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcg11_16.html

November 2016 NSC examinations: completion of School-Based Assessment (SBA), Practical Assessment Tasks (PAT) and language oral mark sheets http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edea5_16.html

• 0010/2016

• 0004/2016

• 0011/2016

Accounting training for Grades 8 and 9 EMS teachers http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcg10_16.html

• 0009/2016

Training for all Mathematics and English language teachers responsible for Grades 8 and 9 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcg9_16.html

CURRICULUM FET

• 0011/2016

Careers Matter Grades 10–12 (Mail & Guardian Supplement) http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcf11_16.html

• 0010/2016

2016 Nkosi Albert Luthuli Young Historians’ Award http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcf10_16.html

• 0009/2016

Distribution of standardised tourism time zone maps to schools http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcf9_16.html

• 0008/2016

Activities of Physical Education Month, 6 April to 10 May 2016 and Physical Education Day, 10 May 2016 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcf8_16.html

• 0007/2016

Request for schools to commemorate Africa Day http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcf7_16.html

• 0006/2016

Western Cape Bursary Competition for Grade 11 learners offering Economics, Accounting and Mathematics (20162017) http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcf6_16.html

• 0005/2016

eReadiness assessment within ordinary public and special schools http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edcf5_16.html

EXAMINATIONS ADMINISTRATION

• 0006/2016

Compulsory training for all principals, chief invigilators, senior invigilators and district officials involved in the conduct, administration and management of the NSC, SC and AET

Appointment of invigilators for the November 2016 NSC, March 2017 NSC supplementary, 2017 SC and AET Level 4 examinations http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edea4_16.html

• 0003/2016

Readiness for conducting the 2016 NSC examination http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edea3_16.html

• 0002/2016

Return of unclaimed certificates of previous years (from 1992 to 2014) http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CMminutes/edea2_16.html

INSTITUTION DEVELOPMENT & COORDINATION MINUTES INCLUSIVE AND SPECIALISED EDUCATION SUPPORT

• 0001/2016

Expansion of inclusive education and specialised support http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/IDCminutes/edse1_16.html

CORPORATE SERVICES MINUTES PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT

• 0001/2016

Relocation of the Telecommunications and GG Transport Section to the 2nd floor, Grand Central Towers http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CSminutes/edpm1_16.html STRATEGIC PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

• 0003/2016

District-based Funza Lushaka bursaries for 2017 http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CSminutes/ehrm3_16.html

• 0002/2016

Importance of sound performance management http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CSminutes/ehrm2_16.html

• 0001/2016

The importance of educators and public servants applying for permission to perform remunerative work outside the public service http://wced.school.za/circulars/ minutes16/CSminutes/ehrm1_16.html

update EDUCATION

sport

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15

R E C R E AT I O N

South African athletes with Down’s syndrome do us proud at World Trisome Games A team of young athletes did South Africa proud in Florence, Italy at the first ever Trisome Games for athletes with Down’s syndrome, held in July this year. The South African Sports Association for the Intellectually Impaired (SASA-II) sent a team of 41 athletes and 21 officials to Italy. Team South Africa competed against more than 1 000 competitors from 36 countries in various categories including Swimming, Athletics, Judo, Futsal, Gymnastics, Tennis and Table Tennis.

Many of the athletes were former learners of special schools in the Western Cape. Alumni included Leonard Bailey (Dorothea School); Moegamat Christians and Carlo Cemmers (Ligstraal School); Phillip Weideman (Laerskool Swartland); Pieter Bell (FD Conradie Primary) and Donee Dixon and Mariza Holdt (Gloria Botha School). Christina Van Neel, an educator at Lentegeur Special School was a support staff member and Albert Warnick, an educator at Molenbeek School, served as the Public Relations Officer for SASA-II.

Western Province shows class at Coca-Cola Rugby Weeks D

HL Western Province took top honours in the Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week and the Coca-Cola Academy Week at Kearsney College in Durban in a satisfying day for the provincial union, which wrapped up the SA Rugby Youth Weeks.

Western Province defeated the Bidvest Golden Lions 27-20 in an entertaining final match of the Coca-Cola Craven Week, while their Coca-Cola Academy Week counterparts fought until the end against the Blue Bulls for a 23-12 victory. The victory for the Coca-Cola Craven Week team ensured that they retained their status as the top team after a 95-0 victory in the final match last season against Eastern Province, while the Western Province Academy Week team built on the success of the

side in the final match since the 2014 season. In a thrilling closing day to the Youth Weeks, a total of 22 matches featuring all 44 teams were played at Kearsney College and Glenwood High School respectively. Meanwhile, the Under-13 CocaCola Craven Week and Under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week tournaments were hosted at Paarl Gymnasium and the National Girls Under-18 Week took place at the Northern Cape High School in Kimberley.

National Schools Netball Championships The National Secondary Schools Championships took place on 5 and 6 August 2016 at Dr EG Jansen High School in Boksburg.

The following Western Cape Schools excelled at the National Primary Schools Netball Championships held on 29 and 30 July at De Kuilen High School in Kuils River. Left: St Helenabaai Primary School’s U/13 team won bronze in the primary schools developing division (Ubuntu).

Right: Durbanville Primary School’s U/13 team won bronze in the merit division (Batho).

Above left: The U/14 team of Manzomthombo Secondary School in Mfuleni won bronze in the Ubuntu division. Above right: The U/17 team of Weston Secondary School in Louwville, Vredenburg won gold in the Ubuntu division.

update EDUCATION

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sport

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RUNNING

SA junior wins silver medal at Skyrunning Youth World Champs in Italy < * $ in second position in the World Sky Running Championships in Italy on x %K* "&

Hayley Preen, a Grade 12 learner at Herschel Girls School, competed against some of the fastest and most technically competent junior trial runners in the world.

Just before Preen jetted off to Italy, she also received the news that she had received her Western Province colours for horse riding.

The course was challenging % # vertical gain on the Gran Sasso mountain, set in the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. Her time of 3:36:48 was just three minutes behind 19 year old Spanish Laia Aguilar x„xx„x} > $

- minutes ahead of bronze medallist Mara Beringues of }„ „ x & Preen said the course was

" *8 & \ $ # * around halfway, when we had to ascend to a peak at 2 Z † were ropes in place for us to pull ourselves up. The downhill sections were also steep and technical. The altitude didn’t affect me too much, it was the steepness and the length of the course that hurt the most.� Preen is a seasoned trail runner, cyclist and equestrian. In Grade 11 she outperformed many of the male contestants and all the women in the Grabouw XTerra triathlon. This year, she repeated the performance to take the title again.

SKY RUNNING IS THE EXTREME SPORT OF MOUNTAIN RUNNING ABOVE 2 000 METRES AND AT AN INCLINE EXCEEDING 30%.

In May she was hand-picked by sports goods manufacturer, Salomon International, to attend their Academy in Germany and, on her return to South Africa, Hayley was selected

to represent South Africa at the Sky Running World Championships.

SASA chairman James Hallett said as the sport continues to grow in interest, particularly amongst the South African trail running community through the annual Skyrunner Series, youth and underprivileged runners remain core to SASA’s on8 8 ! - # $ 8 the sport locally. "$ $ $ South Africa proud as he $ = * ˆ category in a strong European $& Hallet said to have had two of the country’s young up-and-coming trail stars perform so incredibly well on the international skyrunning stage, and within a week of +* /" X " ‰ x at the Skyrunning World Championships in Spain, has given the association a huge leap forward in terms of realising its objective. He added that both Hayley and Chris are destined for a bright future on the trails and their 5 SkyRace racing against some

# $‰ " * 8 skyrunners will have no doubt helped pave the way. Hayley Preen (left) with the silver medal she won in the World Sky Running Championships in Italy.

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