Congratulations to the Class of 2014 by MEC Nkonyeni

Ms Nelisiwe Peggy Nkonyeni, MPL, KZN MEC for Education

Nkosinathi SP Sishi [PhD]Head of Department: KZNDoE

“Together we are moving South Africa forward through Quality Education and Skills Develop-ment”, KZN MEC, Ms Nelisiwe Peggy Nkonyeni, MPL Education News

“We have a Good Story to Tell”

Issued by the Directorate: Communication and Publications

Quality Photographs with articles may be emailed to Roshan.Rambarran@kzndoe.gov.za

KZN MEC for Education, Ms Nelisiwe Peggy Nkonyeni, MPL officially Released the NSC and AET Results at a Glittering Big Day of the Class of 2014 High

Achievers held at the ICC

The KZN Department of Education’s Release of NSC and AET Results was officially announced by the KZN MEC for Education, Ms Nelisiwe Peggy Nkonyeni, MPL at a glittering Awards Event with Top Achievers from the 12 Districts held at the ICC in Durban.

LEARNERS

“We are gathered here to celebrate the success achieved by our beloved children and learners in the 2014 National Senior Certificate Results.

As the year commences, we are broadcasting thoughts and feeding same into the universe. The vast majority of these thoughts are built on the foundation of our values and beliefs which are in tune with our prosperity, freedom and consciousness.

The Department has adopted altruism, honesty, compassion, professionalism, fairness, excellence, teamwork and empathy as important values to guide our vision and actions. We are prepared to unlearn laziness and adopt hard work. We will unlearn and learn. We will learn from our past and improve our present reality. Your success and achievement today signifies our commitment to advance the values of education that are central to our liberation as individuals and as a nation. We know that your academic journey has been long and beset by various challenges, hardships, doubts and fears. However, toady is real testimony that you have courageously battled all these wars and as a result we all thrive in your victory. For this very reason we are extremely proud of you. Your desire, passion, application and dedication inspire the Province and especially those with similar aspirations. Our gratitude goes, not only to the learners here present, but also to those learners who are unable to join us here today, due to various unavoidable reasons.

THE PRESIDENT, THE PREMIER AND GOVERNMENT COLLEAGUES

We remain indebted to the support, guidance and cooperation we continue to receive from the National Government. In this regard, we extend our gratitude to President Jacob Zuma, who is an active advocate for access to quality education. To Mrs Angie Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education, we commend her for always being supportive to our plans and initiatives and

we look forward to further productive and cooperative interactions in 2015.

To the Premier, I am grateful firstly for availing yourself to join us today as we congratulate our top achievers and all those involved in their success. But I would also like to particularly thank you for the strategic direction and support

you have constantly provided me in the execution of my responsibilities. Your strong dedication to education can never be doubted.

To my colleagues in cabinet and the legislature, your collegial support and contribution to matters regarding the Education portfolio is much appreciated and always welcome. I thank you all for your contributions to the success of our learners.

PERFORMANCE Premier, Colleagues and Distinguished Guests

The fruits of our collective efforts as a Province and the dedication of our students, teachers, parents, amongst

We also take this moment to remember all the deceased learners whose lives were prematurely terminated as a result of unfortunate incidents and/or accidents. May their souls rest in peace!

And to those learners who may not have achieved their goals this time around, we know that many of you gave your very best and to you we say “you are not alone.” They are many

options for you going forward. You may consider writing a supplementary exam or repeating the grade. Whatever option you choose, the Department will continue to provide the necessary support to enhance your choice. Before I address the performance in general, I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the following top performers.

• SENZO LORENZO XABA of Mtshakela High School, Quintile 1;• RASHMIKA DEEPLAL, Isipingo Secondary School, Quintile 4; and • GARETH DAVID MOGAMBERY, New West Secondary School, Quintile 5.

Yours is a story that defines the spirit of this nation and the calibre of youth we seek to nurture. We salute you! I would also like to thank other individuals and contemporaries who have directly or indirectly contributed to or facilitated the success of our top achievers.

KZN Premier, Mr ES Mchunu address a Media Briefing with MEC for Education Nelisiwe Peggy Nkonyeni, MPL

07 January 2015

KZN Premier Mr ES Mchunu HoD, Nkosinathi SP Sishi, PhD

KZN HoD for Education, Dr Sishi interviewed by etv Journalist, Judith Subban and Francios Growler

Dance item by Seatide Secondary School. The School is famous for their high class performance

others, are manifested in the details of the 2014 National Senior Certificate Results

In general there has been a decline in the pass rate from 77.4% in 2013 to 69.7% in 2014 (a decline of 7.7%). I regret to reveal that this Province has experienced the sharpest decline in the country. The percentage drop in each Province is as follows:

PROVINCE %DROP

Free State Province 4.6%Gauteng 2.3%North West Province 2.6%Western Cape Province 2.9%KwaZulu-Natal Province 7.7%

District performance per selected subjects

The Province had the highest number and proportion of students who took mathematics. 50.1% of the students in the Province wrote the mathematics examinations. A decline in mathematics will therefore affect the Province more than any other Province in the country. In this regard, I note that all districts obtained less than 50% in Mathematics. Five districts scored below 50% in Physical Sciences and seven scored above 50%.

Examination Malpractice

I would like to address the issue of examinations malpractice. 19 Centres in the Province are suspected of engaging in examinations malpractice. Investigations in this regard are on-going in accordance with the prescribed policy. The final status of the process will be communicated to the Department upon the finalisation of the investigation. The public will be informed about the final outcome of the investigations.

PROGRAMME OF ACTION

Premier, Colleagues and Distinguished Guests, From a performance perspective, we are back where we were in 2011. We will work systematically to improve. The improvement will be built on a solid foundation of improving quality from primary schools.

In 2015, we will begin a long term systematic improvement

strategy from Foundation Phase in two (2) districts, which will then be extended to all other 10 (ten) districts. Working with stakeholders we will-• Analyse seek and understand;• Not seek lasting solutions but to build sustainable improvement;• Seek to improve numbers of learners who progress to matric; and• Seek to improve the success in Quantile 1 to 3.The status quo calls for a focused programme of action to address the underlying bottlenecks and accelerate performance improvement. The proposed approach in this regard will be informed by the following actions, amongst others:• Devising district and schools’ specific intervention strategies;• Requiring each underperforming school and district to develop a quality improvement strategy the implementation of which will monitored by the Department;• Developing subject improvement plans with subject advisors;• Undertaking provincial interventions through regular visits to underperforming schools and districts and provide support on matters of teaching methodology, effective learning and assessment strategies; • Supply of material to support CAPS;• Implementing teaching, management and governance support programmes at all schools;•Improving schools’ functionality and learner performance by amongst others- o Implementing quality assurance measures, assessment policies and systems to monitor and evaluate success of lessons;o Developing and enhancing the professional quality and academic performance of managers and teachers in all institutions; ando Streamlining institutions to address inefficiencies and inequalities;• Developing human resource and organisational capacity and enhance skills by amongst others-developing skills of the Department’s workforce at all levels;• Ensuring good governance, management and an efficient administration by amongst others- o implementing administrative management systems and accounting procedures in order to ensure maximum support to curriculum delivery; and o decisively deal with issues of fraud, corruption and maladministration; and • Improving relationships with organised labour, teacher unions and the private sector.

The details regarding the implementation of the above actions will inform the Department’s strategic objectives for the year 2015 and will be published upon finalisation.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

As I conclude, I revisit the thoughts that guide my inner most conscience in the execution of my responsibilities. Visions of an ideal education system dominate my thinking. In the realm of a my thought world, I wish-• That our system could recognise that there are left brain and right brain children and treat them accordingly;• That our system could have graphologists who would analyse the uniqueness of each child’s handwriting and channel them accordingly, based on the fact that no two people in the world write the same, just as no two people in the world have the same fingerprints, voices, or same physical appearance;• That Philosophy could be a subject offered at a basic education level so that the system could produce critical thinkers;• That chess lessons could be offered to all mathematics learners in order to improve their mathematical schools; and • That our system could train and produce phrenologists who would study the shape of a child’s head at Grade R so that we channel the children accordingly.I believe that the 2014 NSC results mark the beginning of a journey, in the Province, that will contribute to the general prosperity of our nation through the advancement

of our children’s education needs. Let us continue to work together to can realise this objective. With those few remarks, I wish to restate our heartfelt congratulations to all out top achievers. We are proud of you.”

I THANK YOU!

The Head of Department in Education, Nkosinathi SP Sishi, PhD said the KZN Department of Education is the backbone of the National Department of Education.

He said that, “if we sneeze the National Department would catch the cold”.

The Premier, Mr Senzo Mchunu addressed the High Achievers to maintain their spotless character. He warned that they should stay focussed in education and not get involved in alcohol, drugs and not to get preganent.

The Premier’s wise words of wisdom and guidance was appreciated by Dr Sishi and the house. ]

Head of Department, Education, Nkosinathi SP Sishi, PhD presents his Technical Report at a Media Briefing assisted by Mr Muzi Mahlambi, Senior Manager, Head

of Communication

Matriculant, Suhail Gangat of Port Shepstone Secondary is flanked by Ms Linda Hlongwa, Chairperson of the Education Portfolio Committee and Mr Bheki Ngubani,

Senior Manager in the Office of the HoD

Members of the Media, Ms Lauren Anthony from the Daily News.

Dr EV Nzama, SGM, Curriculum congratulate Matriculant, Sibusisiwe Mbuqe from Little Flower

Combined School

Matriculant, Tyla Mitchison of Crawford College is flanked by her parents

Top Achievers in the Class of 2014