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Learner Performance Improvement
Mpumalanga Department of Basic Education
South Africa

The Problem

The pass performance of the grade12 learners in the circuit was very poor. In 2007 the circuit achieved 53% in 2008 40%. Very few learners managed to access tertiary institution either due to lack of funding or due to poor results. The majority of these learners who are the beneficiaries of the project are from rural areas. It was difficult to conduct extra classes at a common venue the spatial nature of the municipality and lack of public transport made it impossible for the circuit to hold holiday extra classes. The educators teaching scarce skills subjects could not cope with the newly introduced subject contents of the curriculum as it was first year university content and most have diploma qualifications. The local and surrounding mines could not employ from the area or in the municipality since there were no graduates qualified in the skills needed. The situation led to high teenage pregnancy rate and unemployment since even those that passed the grade 12 could not be admitted to institution of higher learning or be employed since they had no skills. The frustration of finishing grade 12 and going nowhere was an increasing reality, crime, drugs, looting and pregnancy became the order of the day. Who ever was lucky to be employed could only earn a low income which could not bring a remarkable change in the family situation especially that the majority of those learners come from child-headed families.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
The Learner Performance Improvement project was started to address poor performance of learners to expose them to tertiary education and then access better jobs in local mines. The department of education and local mines joined hands and formed a pact to sustain good performance by enduring schools are conducive for learning and teachers are confident to meet the requirements of the new curriculum thus sustaining good performance. The project team members report monthly to principals and they are allowed to intervene if necessary. The Circuit manager attends forum meetings with the mines on monthly basis to report on progress and new identified areas of need. Once a year results are reported to the whole community in a circuit award ceremony where the best performing educators and learners are appreciated. A career expo with tertiary institutions and local business people has since been organised to encourage learners to study and choose the career path they would like to follow. This has improved a number of students it the engineering field and ten learners were awarded bursary by the University of Pretoria and University of Johannesburg. In June for the very first time the Qedibanga Abet Centre saw an influx of out of school youths and adults rewriting their matric. Exxaro mine has committed to sponsor teacher development programme for the Accounting and Economics Educators in 2012- 2013. The number of learners passing Mathematics has improved as follows 2008 – 47%; in 2009 – 68% and in 2010 – 82%. Physical Science improved from 2008 – 27%; 2009 – 35% and in 2010 – 70%. This meant that more learners could access the tertiary qualification and the level of poverty will in the next four years improve in this municipality. See attached copy of learners now at tertiary institutions. The reported status of the community as reported by the Executive mayor to be at 0,10 people with university qualification in the municipality will improve in the next census.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The Learner Performance Improvement project was started to address poor performance of learners to expose them to tertiary education and then access better jobs in local mines. The department of education and local mines joined hands and formed a pact to sustain good performance by enduring schools are conducive for learning and teachers are confident to meet the requirements of the new curriculum thus sustaining good performance. The project team members report monthly to principals and they are allowed to intervene if necessary. The Circuit manager attends forum meetings with the mines on monthly basis to report on progress and new identified areas of need. Once a year results are reported to the whole community in a circuit award ceremony where the best performing educators and learners are appreciated. A career expo with tertiary institutions and local business people has since been organised to encourage learners to study and choose the career path they would like to follow. This has improved a number of students it the engineering field and ten learners were awarded bursary by the University of Pretoria and University of Johannesburg. In June for the very first time the Qedibanga Abet Centre saw an influx of out of school youths and adults rewriting their matric. Exxaro mine has committed to sponsor teacher development programme for the Accounting and Economics Educators in 2012- 2013. The number of learners passing Mathematics has improved as follows 2008 – 47%; in 2009 – 68% and in 2010 – 82%. Physical Science improved from 2008 – 27%; 2009 – 35% and in 2010 – 70%. This meant that more learners could access the tertiary qualification and the level of poverty will in the next four years improve in this municipality. See attached copy of learners now at tertiary institutions. The reported status of the community as reported by the Executive mayor to be at 0,10 people with university qualification in the municipality will improve in the next census

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVE: to improve learner performance in grade 12. To produce marketable learners able to access bursaries and tertiary qualification in scarce skills. To provide local business will a skilled local workforce and improve the level of poverty and unemployment in the municipality.
STRATEGIES USED TO IMPLEMENT THE INNITIATIVE: The project team comprised of low level educators who were not managers in their schools. The Circuit Manager workshopped them on project management and development of business plan. The project team members were allowed to develop the plan, application forms, and the code of conduct for learners and the contract for educators and cookers. These would be presented to the Circuit Manager as the project co-ordinator in a meeting and corrections and additions would be effected after deliberations. Team building was key for the success of this project the project coordinator would fund from her pocket a dinner at the end of the term with the team to review the quarterly performance. Members of the project team were allocated responsibilities that are in line with their capabilities and interest. The member allocated to be the financial manager and centre manager saved the project money by registering for electronic transfers in the second year and a lot of savings was experienced. On quarterly basis the project will meet with sponsors and principals to give performance report because they also conduct centre based assessment this is compared with school based assessment to monitor challenges. The management abilities of these project members have improved that two of them have been appointed as deputy principals in the local schools. Once a month the Circuit Manager as the project coordinator attends the mines community forums to give feedback on the challenges and successes of the project. The impact of this is that when communities strike they had a tendency to disturb schools. Now when strikes take place they allow educators and learners to go to school, the unemployed youth has gone back to register and write the grade 12 exams at the nearby Adult centres.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
The idea of contributing to circuit learner improvement strategy was presented by the Circuit Manager during the 2008 Circuit Teacher’s’ Day. The three educators were touched and approached the Circuit Manager with the initiative of partnering with the private sector to improve learner performance. A business plan with the organogram and roles and responsibilities was developed. The plan was costed for presentation to social partners. The month of December 2008 was set aside by the project team for presentations to the identified stakeholders. The Various mines were consulted and a presentation of the proposed project was made to them for funding of the initiative. EXXARO NBC COAL committed to the idea and decided to fund the Saturday School project 100%. The team consulted further with school principals and School Governing Bodies to get a buying in. After an agreement was reached then school principals and SGB’s were to consult with parents and learners. The identified service providers of scholar transport were also consulted and the host SGB was consulted with the request to provide premises to the project at no cost. Three unemployed women were then requested to come and assist with cooking for the learners, thus getting an employment. Nkomati Mine funded the capacity building of the educators for maths and science before they could start with the project. Educators were identified in terms of their performance; at least a 60% pass performance enabled the educator to be identified for the project so that he/she could add value and achieve the intended goals. Where the circuit did not have such educators they were sourced from other neighbouring circuits. A launch of the project was done where in the mine also sponsored the learners with T-shirts, cap and a bag this became the uniform of the project so that the poor learners who could have dropped out of the project because of lack of private clothes was averted. The project functions on a Saturday as a supplement to what schools are doing during the week. Learners and educators on the project a fed a well balanced meal each time they are in attendance.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
1. Obstacles encountered:1. Travelling costs to the identified centre. Since the geographic nature of this circuit is rural the schools are scattered there was a need for all the learners to be transported to a common venue. Unlike in other circuits were learners can travel to the school using public transport this municipality does not have it communities depend on hiking when travelling to the main town Belfast. This could be a high risk for girl learners and those from far would dropout. A travelling budget cost was calculated and submitted to EXXARO mine and it was approved for payment. Then service providers for scholar transport were consulted for a buy in at the fixed budgeted amount and they agreed.
2. Catering for the learners. Given the learner socio-economic status some were going to be exposed if we had to say they must bring along a lunch box. The mine was willing to fund for the catering of these learners and to pay a stipend to the food handlers assisting with the cooking, therefore every learner had to eat what is provided for.
3. Getting competent educators for Maths and Science. The team approached Nkomati Mine to fund for the capacity building of these educators. A service provider with a track record in the field was contracted to conduct these training for our educators and Nkomati mine paid the cost. The results in Maths and Science have improved and the project now employs educators from within the circuit.
4. Development of learning material. After the first year the team upon reviewing discovered that there is no difference between what is taught at school and the Saturday School. This bores learners and nothing different is presented during these extra classes. When presenting the 2010 budget to EXXARO the team requested funding for these materials and this was approved a service provider was appointed to develop and print these materials. The team negotiated printing rights with the service provider and these materials can be reproduced in 2011 and 2012 at no cause until the curriculum changes in 2013.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
1. Saturday School: the unemployed ladies in the community where appointed to assist the project as food handlers. Best performing educators were contracted and capacitated with the new content to sustain the performance of learners. The contracting of local transport service providers sustained their small businesses for the past three years and ensured learners from deep rural areas can access the extra classes. The learning materials bought ensured that the same content taught at school is enhanced during extra classes this impacted positively on learner performance. These learners are coping at university in the engineering field. All in all the local businesses and the municipality have invested 2,750m that was accounted for without any mismanagement of funds.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The Department of Education and local mines joined hands and formed a pact to sustain good performances by ensuring schools are conducive for learning and teachers are confident to meet the requirements of the new curriculum thus sustaining good performances. The project team members report monthly to principals and they are allowed to intervene if necessary.
The circuit manger attends forum meetings with the mines on a monthly basis to report on progress and new identified areas of need. Once a year results are reported to the whole community in a circuit award ceremony where the best performing educators and learners are appreciated. A career expo with tertiary institutions and local business people has since been organised to encourage learners to study and choose the career path they would like to follow. This has improved the number of students in the engineering field and ten learners were awarded bursaries the University of Johannesburg and the University of Pretoria. In June for the very first time the Qedibanga Abet Centre saw an influx of out of school youth and adults rewriting their matric exams. Exxaro mine has committed to sponsors teacher development programme for the Accounting and Economics educators in 2012-2013.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The core business of this project was to improve learner performance from 40% to a higher pass percentage. In 2009 the performance improved to 64% and in 2010 despite the world cup and the public service strike the performance improved to 78,3%. The number of learners passing Mathematics has grown to 82% in 2010. This projects has improved the number of students who have qualified to be admitted in the engineering field and ten learners were awarded bursaries the University of Johannesburg and the University of Pretoria. In June for the very first time the Qedibanga Abet Centre saw an influx of out of school youth and adults rewriting their matric exams. Exxaro mine has committed to sponsors teacher development programme for the Accounting and Economics educators in 2012-2013. The involvement of learners in these classes has seen the number of teenage pregnancy dropping and the will increase the municipal statistics of improved number of members of the community with degrees unlike the past census report of 0, 10%. These learners will not struggle for employment locally and anywhere else because they will be qualified in scarce skills thus impacting positively on poverty levels and unemployment in our municipality. Learners who did not qualify for university entrance are registered in the FET colleges to qualify as technicians and the mines have seen the results of this project and are committed to fund the project. Hence in 2011 the training of Accounting educators commence, this is really assisting the department of education who is struggling with capacity building of educators because of financial constrains. The circuit has seen township school obtaining 97 and 96% pass rate in 2010 comparing with well resourced school. A school in the deep rural area of the circuit that performed not more than 20% for a number of years has in 2010 obtained 82,4%. The least performed school in the circuit last year obtained 60%.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Mpumalanga Department of Basic Education
Institution Type:   Government Department  
Contact Person:   Nomvula Motloung
Title:   Circuit Manager  
Telephone/ Fax:   0135253 0071/084 670 0095
Institution's / Project's Website:  
E-mail:   twalase@webmail.co.za  
Address:   89 Bhekumuzi Masango Drive
Postal Code:   1100
City:   Belfast
State/Province:   Mpumalanga
Country:   South Africa

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