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Address:Steve Vukile Tshwete Education Complex, Zone 6, Zwelitsha,
Province of the Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa
In the 23 years “democracy” celebrated by South Africa, the education system of the nation is somehow still in doubt. The Eastern Cape Province is the usual causality to this ordeal, as the outcry towards dysfunctional, inadequate education system and service delivery continues year in year out. Given the failure of the apartheid regime in controlling government consumption expenditure it fell to the post-1994 government to confront this problem.
However the national Department of Education has been gradually resurfacing and unearthing ways to combat the negativity inherited from the past. To consolidate those efforts, it is important the objectives of the Department must be measured against the number of learners who access education. According to Makalive Daweti of Scholar Transport Directorate, the effectiveness of the scholar transport system can be rated at 7 out of 10. “The success of the system is also dependent on the national budget given by National Treasury to the Department of Education and to the directorate,” said Daweti.
According to the allocated budget for the 2016/2017 financial year for the school nutrition programme which was R 1 074 182 000. From that amount, there are 5238 learners targeted a year within the Eastern Cape.Vuyokazi Matwa, Deputy Director at the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) also insists that ‘the programme has helped the poverty-stricken learners of the Eastern Cape immensely’. “Learners attend school frequently, they get involved in the classrooms, pass rate has improved and information gathering has improved too,” said a proud Matwa.
Matwa also added that learners across the Province are provided with a daily meal that consists of a menu that changes every day. Furthermore, Matwa said that ‘every learner must be fed by 10H00 as it helps students to grasp on information and improve the pass rate of the Province’. “With this healthy daily menu, learners grow physically, their physical statures improve and also their health,” concluded Matwa.
The Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) Human Resource Development (HRD) Unit recruited 400 unemployed graduates and sourced 187 graduates from Education, Training and Development Practice Authority (ETDP-SETA) and 48 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) learners for the period of 12 months
This was announced by the Skills Development Committee from HRD Lukhanyo Sidiya during her presentation on Skills Development Report in Port Alfred recently.With a wealth of information that was presented by her, the statistics, challenges, recommendations and overall performance with regards to skills planning and development for the first and second quarter of 2017/2018. The report also included the detailed information on internships and learnerships that the department recruited in 2017/2018 year plan.
According to the Skills Development Report, the purpose of internships and learnership in the department is to identify, prioritise, plan and design key programmes according to the needs of the workplace and also to ensure the smooth management of the internship programme in the ECDoE.
She mentioned in her presentation that the sub-committee had managed to successfully influence recruitment of 400 unemployed graduated that are financed directly by the ECDoE and are placed across the districts in the Eastern Cape, 187 sourced from Education, Training and Development Practice Authority (ETDP SETA) and 48 ICT Learnership for the period of 12 months.
The main aim to appoint & place these unemployed graduates across the provinceis to assist in elimination of unemployment and eradicate poverty in the province. The 187 ETDP SETA Internsare directly financed by ETDP SETA and hosted by the ECDoE across the Education district, 30 in HRD Offices, 50 at special schools and 100 were placed at the head office in all directorates.
An additional 500 interns were placed in Mt Frere and Libode districts to assist in administration work at main stream schools. The department has contracted also Information Resources and Centreto train 49 unemployed youth on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to assist with school administration in Engcobo and Cofimvaba areas.
HRD is also financing a learnership programme for Inclusive Education where 50 unemployed youth have been placed in special schools as Teacher Assistant Aide.
Must have FGASA level 1 or NQF equivalent with a PDP and drivers license. First Aid level 1 with DEAT registration. Duties include conducting game drives, hosting guest, basic maintenance and assisting in other areas as needed. Working a 21 days on / 7 days off and meals on duty. Single accommodation offered on-site. liz@lfhr.co.za
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As one may walk into the doors of any Department or even directing a phone call to that particular Department, the one thing that pops up in everyone’s mind is “how well will I be assisted?”. In making sure that its customers are satisfied, the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) has come up with a strategy that will provide an effective and efficient customer services to all stakeholders.
According to Khaya Nakani from Customer Care office, the current primary approach that is in place is that of a management approach of the Presidential Hotline for queries. “When our customers call us about their complaints that usually have to do with school infrastructure, school nutrition, scholar transport and pension payments just to name a few, this system assists in strengthening inter-governmental relations within the Department”. Said Nakani. He went on to say that customer care is looking at operating in one office which will have each critical section of the Department represented so as to speed up the process of responding to queries.
“Our progress has improved a lot from the past years when it comes to the Presidential hotline complaints, we were sitting at 25% and currently we are at 92.7% in solving complaints in our districts across the Province” explained Nakani. He added that the section normally takes 7 to 21 working days to respond using the primary approach.
A traditional approach is also a system in place at the Department to deal with complaints and queries for walk-in customers. “This is when customers visit the Department in person to lodge their complaints and about 80% of our customers are mostly comfortable with this approach” added Nakani. In most cases these are the stakeholders that articulate problems that may help improve the organisational image.
Zoyisile Vena, a customer found this approach rather ‘unsupportive’ because the front desk did little to help him. “I had to run around by myself trying to locate the office that was going to solve my problem” said Vena. Buhle Mooitjies a security guard at the front desk finds this approach ‘not that disruptive’ as, “We try to help customers to the best of our ability”.
Must have at least 3-4 years experience in a luxury lodge / 5* hotel. Excellent communication skills with a valid code 8 drivers license and a PDP. You will be tasked with making the the front office, which is the first contact with guests, runs smoothly and effectively. Computer literate with experience on Pastel, Semper or similar. Must be strong leader with problem solving skills. Single live in accommodation offered. liz@lfhr.co.za
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A lodge based on the Amakhala Game Reserve is looking for a well spoken, outgoing and vibrant person to join their team. The position is suitable for a recently qualified hospitality graduate who has experience in working in a lodge. Duties include front of house (checking guests in and out, guest relations etc.), hosting / welcoming guests, assisting during service times (waitering) and assisting in the housekeeping department as needed. liz@lfhr.co.za
OR
The Eastern Cape Department of Education National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), celebrated World School Milk Day (WSMD) at Graslaagte Primary School in Humansdorp and Coega Primary School on 19 and 20 October 2017 respectively.
The WSMD is celebrated under the theme “Dairy Gives You Go. World School Milk Day is celebrated on the last Wednesday in September, but the NSNP Directorate felt it necessary that it marries both the WSMD celebrations with the National Nutrition Week celebrations, from the 17th – 20thof October 2017.
The end of the month was chosen as it is a school day in most countries around the world. World School Milk Day is now celebrated in more than 40 Countries around the world. It celebrates the health benefits of school milk programmes.
Landile Mbanjwa, Provincial Chief Executive Specialist for National School Nutrition Programme untangled what the celebrations where all about “We are here at Nelson Mandela Metro District to celebrate Nation School Nutrition Week, the way we have conceptualized the event this year is to start with the National School Nutrition Week which was celebrated at Ikhwezi Lomso Senior Secondary School, in that event what we wanted to achieve was to convey messages that are consistent with a Nutrition Education. These messages should be infused into the curriculum and in the learning areas that are most relevant in that regard” explained Mbanjwa.
He further pointed out that “We proceeded to Graslaagte Primary School where we were trying to promote the importance of consumption of milk which is in line with the theme “Dairy Gives You Go”, the school fully participated and had organized the event to our certification. It was an exciting day for both schools, as various activities were performed in line with the theme of the day”
Nomfundo Somhlahlo from South African Sugar Association (SASA) enlighten the importance of Milk to the learners “World School Milk Day is an engaging way to teach learners about the importance of drinking milk as part of a healthy balanced diet with an emphasis on milk as an excellent source of vitamins and minerals that learners need to stay alert and ready to learn” she further explained “Milk and dairy continues to play an important role in our children’s health. They provide 40 – 50 % of calcium, iodine, vitamin and B12. They also contribute 15% of energy and about 20% each of fat and protein intake”
Milk and dairy foods are important sources of several nutrients which contribute to health.
The evolution of Information Communication Technology (ICT) with new forms of communication technologies that has enabled communication has positively impacted delivery of services by the Eastern Cape Education Department.
This ICT which has resulted in the new forms of communication technologies such as e-mails, video-conferencing, communicating through social networking websites has made communication easy even in this department. This could be attributed to the committed shown by the department to ensure that it conforms to modern communication forms while dealing with its internal and external stakeholders and partnering with the public and private sector.
According to the Deputy Chief Education Specialist (DCES) Information Communication Technology (ICT) MfanawethuCele, not all employees have access to ICT in the Department. “Communication channels are not properly used as the system needs to be integrated. There are so many things that can be improved including the use of the departmental website,” said Mfanawethu Cele.
He added that at least electronic notice boards and departmental emails have recently improved as both are constantly utilised to communicate internally with employees. ‘This was made possible by the fact that these employees were given laptops in the beginning of this year’.
Communication’s Administration Clerk in the Website Content Management Unit, Cheer-Adee Robinson believes that although the department has joined the train, more marketing of what the website offers is needed. According to her, this needs to be done to address many challenges that the section is facing when it comes to limited usage of this tool. “We have a blog where employees can post their opinions on anything relating to work but that blog is not utilised properly because people are constantly on the website for tenders and vacancies,” added Robinson.
The Department also has a Facebook page and Twitter account where all events are captured as they happen. “As the Communication Services Directorate, we attend Departmental events where we capture the event as it happens through videos and write stories that are uploadedconstantly on our webpage, Facebook page and twitter account. Despite that, you still find that employees of the Department are not even liking or following the page,” she concluded.
The 10th of October 2017 is the day the community of Clarkebury Village will never forget as dignitaries from all over the Eastern Cape braved the cold and rainy weather to witness the official launch of Clarkebury Senior Secondary School as an Agricultural School.
“As from January 2017, the School has been converted into an Agricultural school and this is one of the historical schools, we are proud to say that the late Dr. Nelson Mandela was one of the students at the school,” said the proud Principal of Clarkebury High School, Ayanda Matshayana.
“The community, Traditional and Church Leaders in our area insisted that the school of this caliber be launched formally,” said the Principal. “This is an example of Service Delivery, bringing change to our people, for this is not only for us as a school but also for the community at large. We are grateful and promise to grow further in agriculture, we will take care of the tools and the bakkie given to us by the Department. It will help us a lot. We are forever grateful.”
Amongst the dignitaries who graced the event was Ndileka Mandela, who is one of the former learners at the school and who is also the granddaughter of the late Dr. Nelson Mandela extended her support. “As a former learner of the school I felt it was very important that I attend this event and show my support.
I was involved in the early stages of this project andvery excited to see it though. “Education is the key to success and without education you are nothing,” said Ndileka who was addressing the learners. “Without good results, we will not go anywhere,” she added.
“We, at the Thembekile Mandela Foundation in Gauteng have taken unemployed youths and train them in Agricultural Practices, it’s a one-year course and when they finish they can either go to the industry or start their own co-operations. The reason we chose Agriculture is even from back in the days agriculture was the way of life, this was before they relocated to the big cities and working at mines and now most mines are closing business, some their life span is finished and shutting down jobs and the only way for our people to be able to maintain themselves is through Agriculture,” explained Mandela.
Dr. AS Nuku, Chief Director: from the Office of the Superintendent General (SG) who represented the MEC of the Education, said he felt it necessary to thank the District Director of Chris Hani East for organizing an event of this caliber and quoted the author John West- Burnham, “No Institution improves without being led.” “Thank you for your leadership”. He also extended a word of appreciation to the Director of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Ntsikelelo Vazi and his team for a job well done.”
He also said, “The launch of the school as an Agricultural School is of critical importance to both the department and the community in terms of promoting and encouraging the Radical Economic Transformation of the country.
He urged the members of the Community to take care of the school and its resourcesto safeguard the future of their children.” He also quoted one of Madiba’s famous quotes “Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world.” Education is indeed important, when we provide it to our children, they will go very far in life”