Parliament, Friday, 4 October 2024 – The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education will conduct oversight visits to two provinces—the Northern Cape and the Western Cape—next week to assess the state of schools.
Committee Chairperson Ms Joy Maimela said today that the primary purpose of the oversight visit is to assess the state of schooling and readiness for the upcoming National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in 2024.
In the Northern Cape, the committee will visit schools in the Namaqua Education District in Springbok and the Z F Mgcawu Education District in Upington. From Wednesday, the committee is expected to visit the Cape Metro, Cape Winelands and Metro East education districts.
The Chairperson said that in addition to focusing on the state of system readiness for the NSC examinations and the state of learner readiness, the committee will also monitor curriculum support and intervention by subject advisory services regarding improving learners’ performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
The committee will also focus on infrastructure (pit latrines, access to water, unsafe structures, and ICT integration), Grade R / ECD site monitoring following the migration shift of 2022, learner-teacher support material delivery in schools, nutrition, learner transport and special schools support, and inclusive education. Other focus areas include safety and security measures, an update on teaching and general assistants (Youth Employment Initiative), Phase 4 key outcomes, and preparation for the next phase.
“The Committee’s oversight approach entails visiting provinces and districts to monitor and oversee the implementation of key priority areas continually,” said Ms Maimela. “The framework for state-of-schooling oversight visits is guided by key interventions and priorities for the Basic Education sector set out in major government plans to ensure that enabling conditions for quality teaching and learning are established.”
She further said that this is the first oversight visit of the new committee in the 7th Parliament. “This is the first of many visits we will undertake to ensure quality teaching and learning are happening in a conducive environment at all times to prepare our learners for success in the future.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION, MS JOY MAIMELA
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Rajaa Azzakani (Ms)
Tel: 021 403 8437
Cell: 081 703 9542
E-mail: razzakani@parliament.gov.za
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