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THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT REPLICABLE DEVELOPMENTAL REPLICABLE DEVELOPMENTAL

MODELSMODELS

Presentation to EMASA ConferencePresentation to EMASA Conference

Friday 11Friday 11thth March 2011 March 2011

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STRUCTURE OF STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATIONPRESENTATION

The GM South Africa FoundationThe GM South Africa Foundation Current Education CrisisCurrent Education Crisis The Decentralised District Office The Decentralised District Office

ModelModel The Circuit Team ConceptThe Circuit Team Concept Practical Pilot ProjectPractical Pilot Project OECD – Organisation of Support OECD – Organisation of Support

SystemsSystems Systemic Change –WC/Gauteng/Free Systemic Change –WC/Gauteng/Free

StateState

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Components of GMSA Components of GMSA Foundation’s ‘Corporate Social Foundation’s ‘Corporate Social

Action’ conceptAction’ concept Modest funding - Modest funding - R5.55 million for 2011.R5.55 million for 2011. Local (PE) pilot projects – Local (PE) pilot projects – GM employees’ GM employees’

communities.communities. Focus areas - Focus areas - EducationEducation systemsystem;; subsidy subsidy

housing. housing. Partnerships - Partnerships - From the outset.From the outset. Rigorous evaluation – Rigorous evaluation – Internal and external.Internal and external. Comprehensive documentation – Comprehensive documentation – ‘Models’.‘Models’. Strategic marketing - Strategic marketing - Models and Models and

components.components.

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Overall objectiveOverall objective: To achieve a : To achieve a national impact on SA society national impact on SA society

throughthrough ReplicationReplication by other agencies. by other agencies.

Influencing new Influencing new official policies.official policies.

Assisting authorities (local, Assisting authorities (local, provincial, national) with provincial, national) with practical implementation.practical implementation.

THE EDUCATION THE EDUCATION CRISISCRISIS

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Crisis in EducationCrisis in Education

Downward trend in Learner Performance Downward trend in Learner Performance (National and International test scores).(National and International test scores).

Children leaving school without the Children leaving school without the essential skills needed to survive and essential skills needed to survive and flourish in a modern economy.flourish in a modern economy.

All agree that there is an urgent need for All agree that there is an urgent need for radical change within the SA Education radical change within the SA Education System.System.

““We need a fundamental shift in how we We need a fundamental shift in how we intervene in the system” – Bobby intervene in the system” – Bobby Soobrayan Feb 2010.Soobrayan Feb 2010.

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What schools can/cannot What schools can/cannot dodo

All schools need to work harder at All schools need to work harder at improving their levels of functionalityimproving their levels of functionality

Some (small %) schools can clearly Some (small %) schools can clearly operate without the DoEoperate without the DoE

Other (85%) are not so fortunate - Other (85%) are not so fortunate - they clearly need external assistance they clearly need external assistance to provide better quality education to provide better quality education for learnersfor learners

Support for schools: DoE or Private Support for schools: DoE or Private Sector?Sector?

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Improved support for schoolsImproved support for schools

DECENTRALISED DECENTRALISED DISTRICT OFFICE DISTRICT OFFICE

MODELMODEL

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The Decentralised District The Decentralised District Office ModelOffice Model

New District Office model conceptualised New District Office model conceptualised by a ECED/ Foundation Task Team in by a ECED/ Foundation Task Team in 2001.2001.

Decentralised district offices bring Decentralised district offices bring service delivery into schools and provide service delivery into schools and provide them with effective on-going supportthem with effective on-going support

District offices change from being ‘silo’ District offices change from being ‘silo’ based to a far more developmental team based to a far more developmental team based and school focussed approach.based and school focussed approach.

The Circuit Team recognised as the most The Circuit Team recognised as the most critical delivery mechanism of the District critical delivery mechanism of the District Office.Office.

Model accepted by ECED but never Model accepted by ECED but never implementedimplemented..

THE CIRCUIT TEAM THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPTCONCEPT

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DEFINING THE CIRCUIT DEFINING THE CIRCUIT TEAM TEAM

CONCEPT CONCEPT The Circuit Team concept allows for the The Circuit Team concept allows for the

most effective direct interface with most effective direct interface with schools.schools.

The make-up & operations of the Circuit The make-up & operations of the Circuit Team are informed by the needs of the Team are informed by the needs of the schools in their circuit.schools in their circuit.

A A paradigm shift paradigm shift is required from DO is required from DO staff to move away from their current staff to move away from their current modus operandi to a modus operandi to a ‘school-focussed ‘school-focussed team-work approach’.team-work approach’.

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Subject Advisor

EDO

DO Staff

Service Providers

A PARADIGM SHIFT

Circuit 1

Circuit 3

Circuit 4

Circuit 2

Pilot Circuit (4 clusters of 6 schools

each)

Pilot Circuit Team

EDO

WSDs

Curr Adv

SpecialNeeds

Admin

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A PRACTICAL PILOT CIRCUIT A PRACTICAL PILOT CIRCUIT TEAM PROJECTTEAM PROJECT

Aim to establish a demonstration pilot Circuit Aim to establish a demonstration pilot Circuit Team to effectively serve a circuit of schools Team to effectively serve a circuit of schools in PE.in PE.

DoE initiative supported by the GMSA DoE initiative supported by the GMSA Foundation. Foundation.

Practical experiences to guide / shape / refine:Practical experiences to guide / shape / refine: Policies & procedures.Policies & procedures. Organograms.Organograms. Roll-out of Circuit Teams to other Districts. Roll-out of Circuit Teams to other Districts.

Twinning arrangement secured with WC pilot Twinning arrangement secured with WC pilot project (relatively far advanced). project (relatively far advanced).

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THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT THE CIRCUIT TEAM CONCEPT

THE PILOT CIRCUIT THE PILOT CIRCUIT TEAM

A Circuit Team dedicated to one Circuit. A Circuit Team made up of appropriately

skilled DoE Staff and external Service Providers.

A PE Circuit made up of 20 - 25 schools. Willing primary, secondary and special schools with HOR, DET & Ex Model C

backgrounds.

Circuit 1

Circuit 3

Circuit 4

Circuit 2

Circuit Manager

Cur Adv - Foundation

Cur Adv - Int / Senior

Cur Adv - FET & Subject (part-time)

School Psychologist

Social WorkerLearning Support

Admin Dev Adv

Admin Clerk

Inst Man & Gov Adv

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PE PROJECT TEAMPE PROJECT TEAMMemo of UnderstandingMemo of Understanding

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PE PROJECT TEAMPE PROJECT TEAMTerms of ReferenceTerms of Reference

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PE CIRCUIT TEAM PROJECTPE CIRCUIT TEAM PROJECTImplementationImplementation

Support obtained from all national and Support obtained from all national and local key stakeholders.local key stakeholders.

Appointed researchers - identified needs of Appointed researchers - identified needs of schools.schools.

Report back to stakeholders on research Report back to stakeholders on research findings.findings.

Working group finalised TOR for pilot Working group finalised TOR for pilot project.project.

Established Project Management Team.Established Project Management Team. PE District Officials visited Cape Town – PE District Officials visited Cape Town –

Shadowed WC circuit team.Shadowed WC circuit team.

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Established pilot Circuit Team with appropriately Established pilot Circuit Team with appropriately skilled members (PEDO & external).skilled members (PEDO & external).

Finalised the pilot schools – Agreements signed.Finalised the pilot schools – Agreements signed. Team –building workshop for Circuit Team.Team –building workshop for Circuit Team. Finalised funding/resource arrangements.Finalised funding/resource arrangements. Proceed with Circuit Team school interventions.Proceed with Circuit Team school interventions. Some District Officials dropped off Circuit Team.Some District Officials dropped off Circuit Team. Working with willing and able officials – Working with willing and able officials –

importing expertise from outside to replace DoE importing expertise from outside to replace DoE people.people.

PE CIRCUIT TEAM PROJECTPE CIRCUIT TEAM PROJECTImplementationImplementation

OECD AND OECD AND ORGANISATION OF ORGANISATION OF SUPPORT SYSTEMSSUPPORT SYSTEMS

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Organisation of Support Organisation of Support SystemsSystems

What makes school systems perform?What makes school systems perform? OECD launched –PISA- Programme for OECD launched –PISA- Programme for

International Student Assessment.International Student Assessment. Looked at top performing countries.Looked at top performing countries. Finland, Korea, Canada, Japan, France, Finland, Korea, Canada, Japan, France,

Sweden, England and Netherland.Sweden, England and Netherland. These countries recognise the These countries recognise the

importance of importance of strong support systemsstrong support systems for schools.for schools.

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Strong Support SystemsStrong Support Systems

““In summary, these findings point to In summary, these findings point to the conclusion that strong basic the conclusion that strong basic education systems tend to succeed by education systems tend to succeed by providing good quality supportproviding good quality support for for students, teachers, and schools in the students, teachers, and schools in the context of an integrated rather than context of an integrated rather than differentiated school structure…. To differentiated school structure…. To perform these tasks successfully they perform these tasks successfully they need…special training for school need…special training for school management tasks and counselling management tasks and counselling and support from teams of experts and support from teams of experts based on evaluation by external based on evaluation by external agencies”agencies”

SYSTEMIC CHANGE:SYSTEMIC CHANGE:

A FEW ALTERNATIVESA FEW ALTERNATIVES

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Institutionalising Circuit Institutionalising Circuit TeamsTeams

Western Cape in 2008 started Western Cape in 2008 started implementing a slightly modified implementing a slightly modified version of the GMSAF decentralised version of the GMSAF decentralised district office model.district office model.

Operationalised the concept of the Operationalised the concept of the circuit team.circuit team.

Eight Districts consisting of 49 circuit Eight Districts consisting of 49 circuit teams.teams.

Highly skilled circuit team leaders lead Highly skilled circuit team leaders lead multi-disciplinary task teams to interact multi-disciplinary task teams to interact with schools on a daily basis and apply with schools on a daily basis and apply appropriate programmes and support.appropriate programmes and support.

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MSED CIRCUIT TEAMS MSED CIRCUIT TEAMS OrganogramOrganogram

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GMSAF’s intentions GMSAF’s intentions with Circuit Team modelwith Circuit Team model

Continue with PE pilot project.Continue with PE pilot project. Promote roll out of PE lessons into all 23 EC Promote roll out of PE lessons into all 23 EC

Districts.Districts. Interact with all 9 Provinces via MEC’s / SG’s.Interact with all 9 Provinces via MEC’s / SG’s. Interact closely with National DoBE: Interact closely with National DoBE:

Presentations made to senior officials and to Presentations made to senior officials and to Education Portfolio Committee.Education Portfolio Committee.

Interact closely with Teacher Unions: Interact closely with Teacher Unions: Presentation made to SADTU Executive.Presentation made to SADTU Executive.

Assist GDE to re-align according to circuit Assist GDE to re-align according to circuit teams.teams.

Assist Free State following in principle Assist Free State following in principle decision to adopt the circuit team concept.decision to adopt the circuit team concept.

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Thank you for arranging Thank you for arranging this opportunity for this opportunity for

discussion.discussion.