Purple Tod Consulting

2.3 MICRO-LEVEL ISSUES

Educational and socio-economic life in Circuit 6 is very similar. Our Circuit covers the following demarcated areas

? Hanover Park
? Manenberg
? Heideveld
? Vanguard

Undoubtedly, extreme poverty levels in and the surrounding feeder community is having a profound negative effect on learning and teaching in these areas. Within the Circuit each one of us has been affected by it, directly or indirectly. We must divert and target our efforts and resources into these areas and schools so that our learners may have a fighting chance to become worthy and full citizens of this beautiful country. These schools will be the direct and immediate beneficiaries of targeting our resources … but the school management has a duty to equally rise to the challenge to ensure year-on-year addition of value and improvement.
Our challenge will be to categorize the high impact schools and target intervention.

The major challenges in Circuit 6 are (mostly directly related and symptomatic of poverty)

? Overcrowding – large classes
? Social violence
? Extremely low literacy and numeracy levels
? Teacher : pupil ratio
? Diversion from core (learning and teaching) towards support (pastoral care) function
? Capacity of management to deal with huge challenges
? Lack of parental interest
? Learner discipline
? Educator discipline and morale
? Drop out of learners
? Corporal punishment
? The discreet absence of the rule-of-law

In the many discussions between the Circuit Team Manager and educators, educators are listing the following areas as of the greatest needs and concerns namely

? Large class size and overcrowding
? The return of remedial and ELSEN classes or a unit in the area
? Overwhelmed by so many changes
? Absence of extrinsic recognition, rewards, incentives
? Poverty
? Apathy amongst parents
? Learner discipline
? Rights of educators being eroded
? Low levels of numeracy and literacy
? Inclusion, decision to mainstream ELSEN learners
? Assessment of/for learning
? Planning-planning-planning
? Diversion from core (learning and teaching) towards support (pastoral care) function

In many discussions with School Principals, they are saying that the following are the greatest needs and concerns in the Circuit

? Teacher : pupil ratio
? Class size
? Absence of one-on-one quality visits and conversations between IMG Manager and School Principal
? Meeting with smaller groups…Circuit meeting too big
? Opportunity to add to the agenda of the Circuit meetings
? Regular networking of news in the Circuit
? Perception of parents about quality at school
? Apathy amongst parents
? Decline in intimacy and closeness amongst colleagues/principals in the Circuit
? Lack of protocol wrt school visits by CA and SNE officials

The Circuit Team Manager is in frequent and direct contact with the parents of the Circuit. They too have an opinion on service delivery. Included are some of their concerns

? Principals make their own rules – they don’t comply with Departmental policy
? Abuse of learners by other learners, educators
? Corporal punishment
? Learner discipline
? Professionalism of educators
? Withholding reports
? Charging administrative fees for admission
? Lack of access to information
? Circuit Manager is always defending the principal.