Interesting to say the least

The DOE (Department of Education), http://www.education.gov.za/, here in South Africa have over the years since 1994 managed to ruin the education system. Instead of uplifting the previously disadvantaged schools to the level of the previously advantaged schools, they have systematically degraded the latter to the level of the prior. Well, not completely, yet!

Now the Minister has announce plans to hold the governing bodies of the schools responsible for the pupils marks! (Learners they now call them here). here is the link / shortcut....
http://www.education.gov.za/dynamic/imgshow.aspx?id=2635
What she is saying is that these people who volunteer their time to sit on the governing bodies which are there to assist the running of the schools from a non-instruction perspective must be held accountable for the good / bad teaching!! They are everyday people, normally parents, who are doctors, painters, housewives, lawyers, and in some instances unemployed illiterate domestic servants or gardeners!

They are elected onto the board and assist with fund raising, arranging sporting events (not the actual sport, but rather the surrounds, i.e. vending outlets, food, drinks, etc.)
Typical "potfolios" of members of a school governing body:-
GOVERNING BODY : 2007

The parent members of the Governing Body for 2007 are:

Vice Chairman, Buildings, Security - Secretary, Exco, Finance, LETU - Finance, Exco - Marketing, Advertising boards - Website, Marketing, Public Relations - Chairman, Grounds
Hostels.

The Gov. will not understand that until they raise the level of education of the teachers, and start paying better salaries to keep the good one's, and institute a disciplinary code into the schools, you will never be able to improve on the current status. And this especially in the more underprivileged areas / schools.

As long as you have schools operating under the trees in the veld, and 1 teacher for 32 to 100 pupils per class, it's a no brainer.... the pupils marks will be bad.
As long as access to the Internet / libraries / information is expensive / not available, only the "privileged few will prosper. It's a no brainer...
But therein lies the problem - no brain. If you listen to the minister of education on TV, she speaks with a strong British accent, and comes across as very arrogant, but not, in my humble opinion, too bright. Obviously she had the privilege of a good school, but not good intellect!

as long as the dept. elects the headmasters, and does not hold them accountable, and appoints teachers there can be no one held responsible but the department.

Should they give the parents / governing bodies the budget and responsibility of interviewing and appointing teachers, THEN, and only then, can they be held accountable. But then they will also be in a position to hire and fire, which will ensure that those fortunate enough to get a teaching post WILL give their best.

But we are in a current situation where, especially in rural areas, teachers don't turn up for class, or turn up late. Where the teacher for a grade 8/9/10 class has a grade 5 certificate. Where teachers who are committed to their work, and have been for 20 years or more earn ZAR8/9k per month!!!

My sons are forced by the "new curriculum" to work in "teams" on various projects at school. Without fail every time one of them has had a project to do, they have done it alone, added the other pupils to the front page and submitted it as a "group" effort. Each time they have got good marks. The reason? Well, some of their peers do not have access to funds / Internet / research materials. Some do not have parents with the capability of assisting them. Some, well they and their parents are just pathetic. Now, I don't mind in any of these instances, as long as my kids do their work, and get good grades. The problem is that it is skewing the ratio of success for the pupil / grade / school. Now it looks like 90%+ of the kids are doing well, but this is on the back of the 5 - 10% who actually do the work.

Anyway, time will tell. Are we to become the next Zimbabwe!

Salagatle!