The Education Conversations Roundtable Report

The Education Conversations Roundtable ReportA U G U S T 2 0 1 9

BACKGROUNDHosted in partnership with the Kagiso Trust, the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ’s) Faculty of Education, and more recently BRIDGE, the Education Conversations were established in 2012 as a platform for education stakeholders and society at large to engage on issues critical to education reform, discuss the state of our education system and unpack sustainable solutions to improve it.

The Education Conversations Roundtable serves as a reflective focus group in which to discuss themes currently pertinent to the education sector which may then form the topics of discussion at the Education Conversations.

CONTEXTWhile South Africa has made significant improvements in basic and tertiary education enrollment, the country still suffers from significant challenges in the quality of educational achievement by almost any international metric. A new paper released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finds that money is not the main issue since South Africa’s education budget remains substantially larger than those of several OECD countries and exceeds that of most sub-Saharan African countries in per capita terms.

The Education Conversations Roundtable held at the University of Johannesburg on the 14th August 2019 explored why our education system continues to perform so poorly, despite significant material investment by government and private stakeholders.

The discussion also highlighted innovative interventions that are working to overcome the challenges in the sector. We understand that the cause of South Africa’s low quality of education is complex and multifaceted. In an effort to explore the cause an esteemed panel of educationists were invited to identify the key factors preventing us from overcoming the obstacles in our troubled education system, as well creative ways in which we can and already are making tangible improvements.

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SUMMARY OF PRESENTATIONSIntroductionThemba Mola, COO at Kagiso Trust, began the Roundtable by offering a brief overview of the history of the Education Conversations and its partners. Themba underscored the importance of education development for the Kagiso Trust which has invested significantly in the area. The Trust has worked with over 500 schools in the country and is in partnership with Anglo American to work towards whole school improvement. He explained the impetus behind the Education Conversations: to create a place for discussion and debate wherein diverse voices can be heard, lessons shared, and ideas validated. Themba highlighted some key topics of discussion covered in past Conversations. These include:

Education in a multilingual society 20 Years on: A closer look at The Role of SGBs in School Governance What are the basic resources necessary for a school to be successful? What will government do differently? Has society abdicated its responsibility towards education? How have unions responded to the shifts in the teaching profession? Evaluating and incentivising educator performance

The COO concluded by affirming the importance of the three-member partnership and the need to engage more networks in joining the conversation.

Improving Early Grade Reading outcomes – Dr Janeli KotzeIn thinking about the obstacles in our troubled education system, the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) Dr Janeli Kotze presented on the desperate need to improve Early Grade Reading (EGR) outcomes. Learning to read is foundational to all subsequent learning; yet the majority of South African children are being left behind in this regard. One of the biggest educational challenges facing the country was presented in the much-cited Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) which showed in 2006 that more than 80% of Grade 5 learners in a nationally representative sample could not yet read for meaning. Similarly, low levels of literacy proficiency were confirmed by pre-PIRLS in 2011.

Dr Kotze outlined a number of innovative interventions by DBE aimed at overcoming the problem. The first of the interventions was the Reading Catch-up Programme (RCUP), an intervention in primary schools that was part of the Gauteng Primary Literacy and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS) in 2011. These are schools that performed below 40% at the 2008 Systemic Evaluation for Grade 3 literacy. The Reading Catch-Up Programme was an 11-week programme whose key objective was to remediate the inadequate levels of English competence in underperforming Grade 4 classrooms that did English as a First

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The Education Conversations Roundtable ReportAdditional Language (FAL). The key features of the programme were the provision of teaching and learning materials and teacher training and coaching. The schools that were part of the programme suspended normal teaching of the curriculum for the term (the duration of the programme).

Reports from the internal evaluation of the project and the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) suggested improved outcomes, but the average impact of the RCUP was not significantly different from zero. Although children with a higher baseline English proficiency did register statistically significant gains.

Implementors gleaned two lessons from the project’s implementation:

Learners lack the foundation so we need to intervene prior to Grade 4. The duration of coaching was too short, so we need to intervene for at least 2 years

Following the RCUP, the DBE implemented the First Early Grade Reading Study (EGRS I). The research sought to examine the results of three interventions to improve teachers’ instructional practice: one with block training twice a year (which included the provision of scripted lesson plans, materials and training), another with the same block training and ongoing support from a reading coach, and a third involving parents. The intervention with reading coaches was found to be a critical component in achieving persistent gains.

The study was the first systematic large-scale Randomised Control Trial (RCT) study undertaken in South Africa to compare the cost-effectiveness of three different intervention models on early literacy performance in an African home language. This study tracked 4600 children (20 each from 230 schools), most of whom came from homes that had few books and limited engagement by parents or caregivers in reading activities. One component was the observations of 60-school lessons in intervention and control group schools. Another was two sets of detailed case studies in 6 rural and urban schools that looked at changes in teachers’ instructional practices as the result of the 2 interventions.

The EGRS I revealed some changes in instructional practices. These included:

• Teachers felt much more supported • Higher access to print and adherence to teaching routine• Increase in group-guided reading (individualised reading)• Curriculum coverage, assessment and opportunities to write• Pupil use of reading material

Implementors gleaned three lessons from the project’s implementation:

• Structured learning programmes seem to be successful in improving:

- Instructional change- Learning outcomes

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• Within structured learning programmes mode of delivery matters• On-site teacher coaching seems to be quite successful (but it’s expensive and

resource intensive)

Following on from the EGRS I the DBE has implemented the second Early Grade Reading Study (EGRS II) which works with 180 schools in Mpumalanga in the Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni districts. The study targets English as FAL, but the learner assessments contain sections assessing the learners’ home language skill level. The 180 selected schools have been split into 3 different groups through a random selection so that the research team can work out if the way teachers are supported is useful or not.

The control group consists of 80 schools and gives the research team an idea of the learning that occurs under normal circumstances in Mpumalanga schools. The other 2 groups are set to help researchers determine whether there are any learning gains in learner performance if teachers are supported and guided in EFAL teaching.

Both programmes provide teachers with additional reading resources and a structured learning programme aligned to CAPS. However, the two groups differ with respect to how training and support are provided: (i) one group receives the traditional face-to-face format through central training and school-based coaching; (ii) the other group receives a combination of face-to-face training and an ICT component that includes electronic tablets and cell phone messaging to the teacher.

Dr Kotze shared some of the preliminary results gained from the study which include:

• Predominant use of English by teachers and learners • More opportunities for learners to speak English individually• Teachers use a much broader variety of instructional practices• Teachers are more likely to introduce vocabulary in context• More English print visible (posters/charts/books etc.)• Coaching improves human capital: students taught by teachers who received

coaching the previous year learn at a faster rate, compared to the control. • Coaching is able to induce a sustained change in behavior: knowledge and

resource utilisation persisted for both coaching and training. • External validity: On-site coaching can work in another province and language• Virtual coaching might be a less resource intensive mode of delivery• But the impact of Coaching on the subsequent cohort is roughly half the size

The results have inspired a new set of questions as the project moves forward:

Can the on-site coaching model be delivered on a larger scale? Will light-touch follow-ups assist with persistence?

Janeli concluded by outlining the next steps for the project:

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The Education Conversations Roundtable Report• Lesson plan and LTSM review• Development of the coaching course• Reading Support Programme in North West (2019-2020)• Hempel foundation programme (2020 – 2022)• Development of reading norms

To access Dr Kotze’s presentation, click here.

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A response to the NDP – Dr Mamiki MaboyaThe DBE’s Dr Mamiki Maboya spoke to the work government is doing to meet the goals set out in the National Development Plan (NDP). She explained that the DBE derives its strategic focus and mandate from a number of planning frameworks which include the UN Sustainable Development Goals – specifically Goal 4 which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all. Additionally, there are continental mandates such as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa. The NDP sets the DBE’s national priorities as follows:

By 2030 all South Africans should have access to education and training of the highest quality leading to significantly improved learning outcomes.

The performance of South African learners in international standardised tests should be comparable to the performance of learners from countries at a similar level of development and with similar levels of access to resources.

There should be a policy and programme shift to ensure that the DBE takes the core responsibility for the provision and monitoring of ECD.

2 years of quality preschool enrolment for 4 and 5 year olds should be made compulsory before grade 1.

The DBE is also tasked with improving literacy, numeracy/mathematics and science outcomes. In addition to the mandates outlined in its planning frameworks, the DBE has its own sector plans which include increasing the number of learners who can perform well in literacy and numeracy, especially in the school exit points identified as grade 3, 6 and 9. Dr Maboya offered an overview of the DBE’s key responses to its various directives. These have been captured and organised thematically below:

Literacy and numeracy

Key responses by the DBE in this area include:

• Full implementation of the reviewed Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (MSTE) Strategy by 2024.

• The framework on the Teaching of Mathematics for Understanding (TMU) roll-out in the FP and IP by 2024.

• Institutionalisation of Lesson Study in Maths and Science education by 2024 (Japan International Cooperation Agency).

• Provision of an average of 61 424 745 (volumes 1 and 2) R to 9 Maths and language workbooks for distribution to about 24000 public schools.

Inclusive education system

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The Education Conversations Roundtable Report Implementation of the policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support

(SIAS) approved by the Minister in 2014. Development of guidelines on the establishment of Full Service Schools (838). The introduction of the South African Sign Language curriculum in Grades 1-12

(2015-2018). Development of a National Catalogue for braille LTSM. All workbooks from grade R – 9 have been made available in Braille.

Reading

The DBE has an developed a system-wide, multi-faceted reading improvement programme ( 2019 - 2024 ) with a focus on:

Strengthening the capacity of the sector to support and monitor reading at all levels (national, provincial, district and school levels);

Teacher development and support; Direct Learner support; Parental and community support and mobilisation; Provisioning and utilisation of LTSM; Tracking learner performance in reading outcomes; Research, monitoring, evaluation and reporting; and Partnerships.

Early Childhood Development

The DBE’s vision for the ECD sector affirms that by 2030 it will have put a comprehensive ECD ecosystem in place that is built to serve and support children, families, practitioners, centres and communities. In meeting this vision, the Department is working closely with the Department of Social Development (DSD) to achieve the systematic relocation of ECD services.

Skills and competencies for a changing world

Introduction of Curriculum for Digital Skills including coding and robotics in the General Education and Training (GET) band by 2023.

Provision of digital LTSM through ICT devices to made available to all learners by 2024.

Technical and vocational skills

As part of its efforts in this area, the Department plans to fast-track the implementation of its “third stream” in line with its 3-stream model [1) academic pathways, 2) technical

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pathways for artisan skills and 3) technical skills to direct learners straight into the workforce].

Towards 2024

• Accelerate the implementation of the technical occupational pathway – workplace experience

• Improve performance in technical mathematics• Strengthen the Technical science curriculum• Bridge the gap between school and the workplace• Establishment of focus schools

The Department is working to incorporate entrepreneurial skills into its intervention through a programme called E-Cubed. The programme centres on entrepreneurship, employability and education. 

Going forward the DBE is working to finalise a competence-based curriculum. Efforts will also be directed towards strengthening the Department’s research development capacity (particularly its monitoring and evaluation function). Lastly, the DBE is working to scale its reading initiatives.

To access Dr Maboya’s presentation, click here.

Instructional leadership – Mary Metcalfe PILO’s (The Programme to Improve Learning Outcomes) Mary Metcalfe began by affirming the value of convening diverse voices in discussions about the education sector, asserting: “there is an enormous appreciation for the challenges presented.  It is good that there are different actors in the room. This makes for a well-rounded discussion.” She went on to offer an overview of her work with PILO. The multi-stakeholder, district–wide intervention aims to improve district and school capacity to deliver the curriculum and subsequently bring about gains in learner outcomes.

PILO develops and shares change methodologies which improve learning and contribute to sustainable improvement in the public education system. The primary programme centres on improving learning outcomes by building practices for professional collaboration and reflection. This system-wide change intervention provides district officials (Directors, Circuit Managers and Subject Advisors) and School Management Teams (SMTs) with the knowledge and tools to hold professional, supportive conversations about curriculum coverage.

New practices are introduced through processes that shape routine behaviour. Practices for improving coverage include monitoring what’s taught and what children can demonstrate, sharing and reporting challenges (and successes), and responding to solve

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The Education Conversations Roundtable Reportpedagogical and management problems. PILO currently works in KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Gauteng.

Moving on from PILO, Mary asserted that the crisis in education needs very focused interventions, adding “we cannot do research for research sake”. She spoke to role of effective instructional leadership in ameliorating some of the toughest challenges in our education system. Instructional leadership points to leadership of learning processes rather than leadership of managerial processes. It involves setting clear goals, managing curriculum, monitoring lesson plans, allocating resources and evaluating teachers regularly to promote learning and growth. Quality of instruction is the top priority for the instructional principal. Instructional leadership is committed to the core business of teaching, learning, and knowledge. The instructional core rests in the relationship between the teacher, the learner and the material.

The role of the instructional leader should also be expanded to incorporate a shift away from just ‘management,’ or working in terms of administrative tasks, and move toward an emphasis on leadership. In order to achieve this objective, a strong principal with solid ideas is not enough; success will require a redefinition of the role of the principal. Barriers to leadership must be removed by reducing emphasis on bureaucratic structures and procedures. Relationships must be reinvented. Mary affirmed that this means moving beyond ‘compliance thinking’ which completely undercuts teacher agency. She asserted that “what is important is not what officials do, but the ways in which the things officials do impacts on what teachers do”.

Drawing on a map and territory analogy, Mary encouraged participants in the sector to look beyond the symbols on the maps – which represent the rules and regulations teachers are compelled to meet – towards the physical conditions of the territory which represent the realities of our schooling contexts. “The Map is not the territory, it represents the territory,'' added Mary. When successfully implemented, instructional teaching and learning allow learners as well as teachers to create a more meaningful learning environment.

“The Map is not the territory; it represents the territory.'' – Mary Metcalfe

KEY POINTS OF DISCUSSIONEach presentation was followed by a session of questions and comments. Key points of the discussion are captured thematically below:

Curriculum and content

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Skills and Competencies for a Changing World

It’s crucial that the drive to include e-learning in the curriculum is focused on incorporating innovative and interactive content that engages learners.

The policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS)

Participants raised concerns that it may be too much to expect teachers to screen learners on top of their already burdensome teaching loads. The DBE currently has some projects aimed at learners with severe to profound intellectual disabilities (LSPID) which use a model that makes use of itinerant support teams to help teachers. The support provided includes: assessment of LSPID enrolled in the schools/care centres, provision of relevant therapeutic interventions to learners and families, monitoring and reporting on these learner’s progress, training caregivers on learning programme for LSPID, advocating for access to prequalify public funded education for LSPID and carrying out administrative functions related to the support provided. If the model proves effective, government will roll it out across the country.

Incorporating entrepreneurial skills in the curriculum

One audience member raised the issue that the curriculum may already be too overloaded to incorporate entrepreneurial skills and that these skills are already taught in subjects like EMS and Business Studies. Dr Maboya affirmed that in the Department’s review of the curriculum irrelevant content will be removed from CAPs to make room for content that is more competency based. She added that while EMS does include some content on entrepreneurship, the Department wants to expand upon it to include more innovative concepts like social entrepreneurship and embed entrepreneurial skills across all subjects.

Methodology

EGRS II

A participant was concerned that coaching could impede on teaching time. In response, Dr Kotza explained the coaching model used in the study helped teachers better manage their classrooms which meant they had more time to focus on the coaching process. Coaching did not disrupt teachers’ lessons. Instead, at the end of the day a coach would sit with the teacher to determine what worked and where the teacher might need to be better supported. In this way, the intervention supplements the curriculum and does not detract from it.

The years between age 4 and 6 are the golden age of learning. Introducing language and reading interventions in Grade 1 may already be too late to improve learning outcomes. In light of the function shift of ECD from the DSD to DBE,

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The Education Conversations Roundtable Reportgovernment hopes to develop programmes that target younger children. A comparison of data from the EGRS II will inform these interventions.

Fostering a reading culture is an important part of any reading and literacy intervention. We need to equip teachers to cultivate a reading culture in the classroom and we need to ask whether their own attitudes towards reading are positive. While it is difficult to change behaviour, a concerted effort is made by the coaches in the EGRS II to share resources and build enthusiasm for reading. The EGRS II study is looking to create library boxes for classrooms to encourage reding for pleasure.

QualificationsTerminology

The term ‘ECD practitioner’ is used in relation to their qualifications, but there is a move by government to increase the necessary level of qualifications for these practitioners. One participant asked whether practitioners will now be referred to as teachers. Currently they are called practitioners, but their pay slips say ‘interns’ and this affects their livelihood and benefits. Dr Maboya explained that the matter is governed by the Employment of Educators Act which will inform the qualifications of ECD practitioners as the responsibility for ECD is moved from DSD to DBE.

To access Ms Metcalfe’s presentation, click here.

CLOSEBRIDGE’s CEO Vuyiswa Ncontsa brought the day to close by thanking panelists and participants and affirming the value of the insights shared and the platform created by the Education Conversations series.

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