The Department of Basic Education wishes to invite all education role players, including principals, teachers and education stakeholders as well as non-governmental organisations, education experts, and interested members of the public, to comment on the NEEDU (National Education Evaluation and Development Unit) Bill, which was published for comment on 23 December 2011 (Government Notice 907, Government Gazette 34858).
The draft Bill is available for download on the DBE website, www.education.gov.za.
Once fully established, the NEEDU will identify the factors that inhibit or advance school improvement; analyse and identify approaches and strategies necessary for achieving equality in the provision of quality education; evaluate the way in which provincial education departments monitor and evaluate schools; evaluate the support that schools receive from the education districts and departments; evaluate the state of South African schools – in particular, the quality of school leadership, teaching and learning; and publish reports on the state of the education system. The NEEDU will also make proposals for remedying shortcomings in educational practice; eliminating barriers to quality education; emulating examples of good practice; developing the knowledge and professional capacity of educators; and improving the support that the education districts and departments provide to schools.
In order to do the above, the NEEDU will have the authority to visit schools and to observe and assess, amongst others, classroom teaching; educator knowledge; learner knowledge; professional management of the school; and the capacity, efficiency and effectiveness of the school governing body. The NEEDU will also have the authority to visit a district office or the office of an education department (provincial and national) to assess how well these bodies support schools and educators.
Therefore it is essential that all interested parties submit their comments on the proposed Bill to ensure that the NEEDU has the proper legal framework to carry out its duties efficiently.
All interested persons and organisations are invited to comment on the Bill, in writing, and to direct their comments to:
The Director-General, Private Bag X895, Pretoria, 0001, for attention: Adv. Moribishane Ramafoko, Tel. 012 357 3720, email ramafoko.m@dbe.gov.za, Fax 012 323 9430. Kindly provide the name, address, telephone number, fax number and email address of the person or organisation submitting the comments.
The closing date for comments is 17 February 2012.
