Parliament, Thursday, 16 August 2018 – The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education is alarmed by the poor leadership in some of the schools it has visited in the North West Province. The committee is in the North West on a week-long oversight visit to assess various pillars of the basic education system.
The poor leadership of principals and their senior management teams was the leading cause of under-performance within the system and this must be rectified with immediate effect, the committee said. The Department of Basic Education, through its provincial and district offices, must strengthen the support they offer to schools’ management teams to ensure effective learning and teaching.
The two schools that concerned the committee the most are the John Frylinck Intermediate School in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District and Batloung High School in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District. The poor leadership in those schools has resulted in a decline in performance, with John Frylinck achieving a pass rate of 35% and Batloung achieving a 55% in the 2017 matric final exams.
While the committee acknowledges the social challenges within which the schools operate, it remains of the view that proper systems are essential if a school is to be functional. “The commitment and attitude towards teaching at both schools must improve if the learning environment is to be improved. Furthermore, the management teams require the support of both parents and the department if they are to achieve set targets,” said Ms Nomalungelo Gina, the Chairperson of the committee.
At Batloung, the committee has called for a community-based approach to deal with the challenge of substance abuse highlighted by the school management. The Department of Basic Education must collaborate with the Department of Social Development and the South African Police Service to find ways of effectively dealing with the problem.
“Above all, teachers and learners must be in class on time to ensure effective education. Furthermore, the committee remains of the view that basic education is an essential platform on which future success is built. As such, the committee has called for the speedy resolution to the leadership challenges,” said Ms Gina.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION, MS NOMALUNGELO GINA
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour