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The Gauteng Department of Education has committed itself to the promotion of quality education and proper skills delivery whereby they want to make sure every learner does well at school and leave school with the values, knowledge, skills and qualifications that will give them the best chance of success.
The Foundations for Learning Campaign has been introduced in all primary schools in January 2010, starting with the Foundation Phase (Grade R to 3). The Department will distribute teaching and learning support materials to schools in aid of their commitment.
This new support programme aims to make sure that all learners pass Mathematics and English by the time they leave Grade 7. To help principals, teachers and parents to know how well their learners are doing, all learners will be tested in Literacy and Numeracy in Grade 3 and then again in Grade 6 every year.
Suggestions for parents to help learners every day include:
• Listening to your child read for 10 minutes
• Counting and doing simple sums with your child for 10 minutes
• Helping your child to practice writing for 10 minutes
• Making sure your child arrives at school on time and behaves well.
The National Department of Education is also looking for ways to relieve teachers and schools of challenges in order to leave more time for teaching and learning as follows:
• Learner portfolios are no longer required
• The number of projects learners must do (Grade 4-12) is one per learning area per year
• Textbooks must be used by both learners and teachers.
It is very important that parents also attend school meetings and meet their children’s teachers once in a term to discuss the child’s progress. And so, President Jacob Zuma has called on all of us to make education a priority for everyone. He has also called on principals, parents, teachers and learners to respect and implement what he calls the non-negotiables for education: “Teachers must be in class on time teaching with correct textbooks and no abuse of learners; learners must be in class on time learning, being respectful to their teachers and each other and do their home work”.
For more information call the Gauteng Department of Education on tel: +27(0)11 355 0000 or visit their website: www.education.gpg.gov.za
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