GDE 2019 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW by Gauteng Department of Education

Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi thanked teachers, officials and candidates for a smooth matric examinations which commenced on 27 October and ended on 26 November 2019.

“We are satisfied that the examinations have been conducted with integrity and without serious challenges despite the load shedding that was experienced during writing of CAT. This is to confirm that Marking has commenced on November 30 and will end on 14 December 2019.”

“Matric Results will be announced on the 7th January 2020 by the National Department of Basic Education whilst Gauteng will host top achievers on the 8th January 2020. We are convinced that we will defend the crown.

Matric performance signals a critical moment in the schooling career of our children. We have however gone beyond the narrow focus on matric results because we recognize that learning foundations are laid well before that time.

It is for this reason that we have focused our monitoring of school and learner performance at the lower grades as well, specifically, the exit grades of every phase. We have also enhanced our support for SMTs who are at the coalface of supporting teaching and learning.

Finally, we are putting systems in place in order to be able to report on primary school results, as mandated by the Premier in the post-elections SOPA 2019.”

ONLINE ADMISSIONS

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) wishes to inform parents that we are in the process of mopping up placement for the 2020 Academic Year.

This is to confirm that all qualifying applicants who have submitted documents are placed. We have learned that most of the enquiries are from applicants that have not submitted documents and those that are unhappy with placement. All enquiries are receiving attention and are being resolved.

We need to acknowledge the challenge of space limitations in the following areas: Lenasia, Mondeor, Meredale, Naturena, Midrand, Edenvale, Kempton Park, Pretoria North, Pretoria East, and Pretoria South. We therefore appeal to parents to accept placement as offered.

The Department is receiving queries from parents who have not applied for Admission 2020 during the application period. Late applications will be opened as soon as all queries are resolved. However, only schools with available space will be available.

Parents who have submitted Objections and Appeals should note that these are being processed and responses will be provided in due course. Most of the appeals are being resolved in consultation with affected parents.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19

In the period under review, GDE has once again focused on addressing backlogs in infrastructure provisioning and providing new infrastructure to meet the demands of a modern ICT-driven curriculum.

“We have also ensured we meet our constitutional obligations in line with the norms and standards for school infrastructure. As part of the new approach we remain committed to finding more appropriate funding solutions to address our massive infrastructure requirements” said MEC

“We are also modernising the design of our new schools and will retrofit new technology to counter the effects of climate change. In the recent past we have seen an escalation in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters like flash floods that wreak havoc on our school infrastructure and cost us an enormous amount to repair. We will be introducing climate-responsive technologies in our schools to ensure that the design is smart and cost-effective in the long run, lest we forget the Driehoek disaster, which brought to the fore the massive task we face with ageing infrastructure,” said MEC Lesufi

Through our E-learning and ICT programme, GDE has redesigned the infrastructure delivery linked to the ICT rollout.

“We have delivered state of the art ICT infrastructure in ordinary township schools. This massive investment in township schools, is one of the single biggest indicators of what is possible with the right vision and a political commitment to allocate resources more equitably and for the benefit of all,” said MEC Lesufi.

GDE has fully embraced the imperatives of the 4th industrial revolution, which at the heart of it, is about transforming the nature of education to ensure educational qualifications produced by the system are responsive and relevant for the world of work in the 4th industrial revolution. We have also shifted away from qualifications that only affirm learners who follow a pure academic stream.

We have fully embraced the imperatives of the 4th industrial revolution, which at the heart of it, is about transforming the nature of education to ensure educational qualifications produced by the system are responsive and relevant for the world of work in the 4th industrial revolution. We have shifted away from qualifications that only affirm learners who follow a pure academic stream.

The introduction of Gauteng’s Schools of Specialization in each of our 5 economic corridors responds to the need for a differentiated curriculum that offers an opportunity for specialization. This is in line with the type of skills required for the 4th Industrial revolution.

We have established all 17 Schools of Specialization that we had promised to complete by 2019. Of these 17, 6 were gazetted this year. The new Schools of Specialisation that we launched include:

?Curtis Nkondo School of Specialisation, the only school with multiple specialisations: Maths, Science & ICT,

?Magaliesburg Secondary School, a Maths, Science & ICT School with a focus on Agriculture,

?Rhodesfield Technical High School,an Engineering School with a focus on Aviation,

?Mohloli Secondary School, a Maths, Science & ICT School with a focus on Maritime Studies

?Edward Phatudi Comprehensive School and Phelindaba Secondary School, both are Maths, Science & ICT Schools with a focus on Nuclear Science & Technology.

As part of GDE’s contribution to clean governance, we have dealt with officials that are repeat offenders on financial matters. In line with the Premiers injunction, we are firmly committed to promoting clean governance in the Department.

This has resulted in improved payments within the 15 and 30-day deadline. We have increased the number of township entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs that benefit from our procurement through the school furniture and ICT-related infrastructure to support our vision for smart schools.

Our infrastructure programme, which has come under close scrutiny remains one of the toughest areas to deal with. We have made substantial progress in this regard and we have reversed the historical infrastructure backlogs. We have identified and replaced unsafe structures such as pit latrines. We did not build asbestos schools but we have championed the cause to eradicate them. Members, the Auditor General confirms that our data on infrastructure is accurate and reliable.

As part of our contribution to clean governance, we have dealt with officials that are repeat offenders on financial matters. In line with the Premiers injunction, we are firmly committed to promoting clean governance in the Department.

This has resulted in improved payments within the 15 & 30-day deadline. We have increased the number of township entrepreneurs & women entrepreneurs that benefit from our procurement through the school furniture & ICT-related infrastructure to support our vision for smart school.