The Basic Education Department (DBE) has suspended with immediate effect the serving of canned pilchards as part of the national school nutrition menu across all schools in the country.

The decision follows a recent order by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications that all formal wholesalers, retailers and informal traders remove and stop selling the 400g Pilchards in Tomato Sauce and 400g Pilchards in Chili Sauce with immediate effect.

“This follows the outcome of the NRCS investigation which revealed a deficiency in the canning process.

“Following this announcement, the DBE has instructed all provinces to communicate with their respective suppliers to stop supplying these products as part the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) menu with immediate effect,” said the DBE in a statement on Wednesday.

The canned fish is a common item consumed in all schools which offer the NSNP to more than 9.2 million learners every school day.

In addition, the department advised provinces to check all pilchards stock against the official list of products and product codes ZST29 and ZSC29 in the attached official communication from the NRCS, and follow the guidance provided therein.

The department further advised provinces to replace pilchards with other sources of protein from their approved menus in the meantime.

“To date the department has not yet received any negative reports from provinces, we are at this stage trying to proactively stay ahead of any potential challenges and protect the profile, credibility and integrity of the NSNP.”

The department reassured parents, learners and members of the public that it is doing everything in its power to ensure that no learner is compromised. – SAnews.gov.za

Five weeks into the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, the Department of Basic Education says things are progressing well.

This week, learners across the country will be sitting for History Paper 2, Business Studies and Afrikaans, among others.

A total of 802 636 candidates, 634 527 of whom are full-time, are sitting for the exams.

The department on Tuesday said examinations are proceeding well across the country without any major incidents thus far. However, the department said in some instances, community protest action has been reported and has threatened to disrupt examinations, but failed.

The department said these types of actions put unnecessary pressure on the Grade 12 learners, who are writing and cause stress and anxiety during an already stressful period.

“We once again call upon civil society organisations to be mindful of our matriculants during this period and do all in our collective power to ensure the Grade 12s are able to attend their examinations without any threat or hindrances,” said the department.

The examinations will conclude on Tuesday next week and marking will commence at 144 marking centres shortly thereafter. The department has enlisted the services of 44 911 markers around the country to mark scripts.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will announce the pass mark for the class of 2017 on 4 January next year, and learners will thereafter be able to access their results at their school or examination centre on 5 January. - SAnews.gov.za

President Jacob Zuma has wished all teachers a happy Teachers’ Day as the world celebrates World Teachers’ Day.

“We honour and value our teachers’ immense contribution and dedication to deliver quality education and shape our future as a nation.

“Let’s continue to support, empower and provide the necessary tools to our teachers in order for them to thrive in their profession. On behalf of government, we wish all our teachers a happy and productive World Teachers’ Day,” said President Zuma on Thursday.

Held annually on 5 October since 1994, the day commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the 1966 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel, focusing on teaching personnel at institutions of higher education.

As part of the commemorations, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will celebrate teachers at the Sheraton Hotel this evening.

This year’s celebration, held under the theme ‘Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers’, echoes the 2015 theme that followed the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) in September 2015, when teacher empowerment was reaffirmed as a top priority in all education and development strategies of the United Nations.

According to the department, the theme is also in line with government’s 2017 national celebrations in honour of Oliver Reginald Tambo, freedom fighter, lawyer and teacher, who personified the values of a quality educator by promoting the importance of education and the empowerment of teachers.

Limpopo MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe also wished all teachers a happy Teachers’ Day.

“I would like to impress on our teachers that teaching is not just another profession. It is a responsibility to guide, nurture and enlighten. We are thrilled that you have been doing exactly that year in and year out against all odds. We appreciate massively the good work that you get done, even under the most stressful and impossible conditions,” MEC Kgetjepe said.

Teacher Appreciation and Support Programme

The commemoration forms part of the Teacher Appreciation and Support Programme (TASP), which is a joint effort between the department and the South African Council of Educators (SACE) that aims to lift the morale of teachers.

Launched on 31 August 2015, TASP includes year-long build up activities to World Teachers’ Day by seeking to encourage involvement at all levels, including that of social partners, districts and schools.

The aim of TASP is to support the Education 2030 Framework for Action by developing and celebrating South African teachers throughout the year, giving meaning to the department’s motto, ‘The teacher, the heartbeat of the nation’. - SAnews.gov.za

Communications Minister Faith Muthambi will visit various schools in the Vhembe District in Limpopo, where she will hand out tablets to the best...

More South Africa Education ...

Telecommunications and Postal Services Deputy Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize, together with members of the Vanderbijlpark Parliamentary Constituency Office...

More South Africa Education ...

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will meet with the management and leadership of universities as well as student leaders on Friday to discuss the...

More South Africa Education ...

South Africa’s top researchers were celebrated for their continued pioneering work in advancing knowledge creation and innovation at the 2015 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards.

Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor on Thursday acknowledged the recipients at a ceremony held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The Awards recognised the significance and impact of their recent research outputs as judged by their peers through the NRF rating system.

Speaking at the function, Minister Pandor said South Africa’s progress towards a knowledge intensive economy rests on the country’s ability to develop a diverse – both in terms of race and gender - cohort of young researchers with high-end skills.

“We congratulate today’s awardees, especially Professor Michael Feast for receiving the lifetime achievement award. We are confident that today’s awards will motivate you to do even more to grow the outputs of our national system of innovation and to train more researchers.

“Your continued contribution to our National System of Innovation will play a significant role in ensuring that the vision of South Africa set out in the National Development Plan is indeed achieved,” said Minister Pandor.

Dr Beverley Damonse, Acting CEO of the NRF, said progress has been made by the organisation in building human and institutional capacity, particularly with regard to achieving equity and transformation, within South Africa’s research sector.

“Over the past five years we have seen an increase of 77% in the number of black rated researchers and 52% in the number of female rated researchers.”

One of the top three awards of the evening were awarded to Professor Michael Feast of the Department of Astronomy, at the University of Cape Town in the catergory Lifetime Achievement Award.

This was based on a lifetime of extraordinary contributions, of international standard and impact, to the development of science in and for South Africa over an extended period of time, and for the manner in which his work has touched and shaped the lives and views of many South Africans.

The Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation at SA Higher Education Institutions award was presented to Professor Tshilidzi Marwala.

He is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation, Postgraduate studies and the library at the University of Johannesburg. Through his leadership he has been an important advocate for increased transformation of South Africa’s science community and landscape.

The Hamilton Naki Award went to University of the Western Cape’s Professor Alan Christoffels. He is the Director: South African National Bioinformatics Institute.

The award recognises an individual for outstanding efforts to advance his/her career in science against all odds, and for achieving world-class research performance, despite considerable equity challenges. - SAnews.gov.za

Children with disabilities will soon feel safer at special school hostels following the department’s intervention plan.An inter-sectoral committee...

More South Africa Education ...

Pretoria – Learners with disabilities will soon be able start school at an early age and access their local neighbourhood schools.

The Department of Basic Education says the South African Schools Act and the Admissions Policy, which is currently being reviewed, will be brought in line with the newly promulgated Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support of learners with disabilities.

“One of the critical areas that will be included in the review is the admission age of learners with disabilities to make better provision for early intervention,” the department said on Tuesday.

The Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support was promulgated in December 2014 for implementation with effect in 2015.

The introduction of the policy will also ensure a new dispensation in which children with disabilities will have expanded opportunities to access their local neighbourhood schools and receive support in inclusive settings from an early age onwards.

The department said most provinces have been setting up structures in selected schools and districts for the implementation of the policy since 2008.

“The policy will now be incrementally rolled out nationally across all districts and schools, starting with the training of a National Training Team in July 2015. 2019 has been set as the target date for universal application,” the department said.

Highlighting some of the strides made towards addressing the plight of disabled learners, the department said it is currently finalising the development of National Norms and Standards for the Distribution of Resources, including personnel, non-personnel non capital and infrastructure resources within an Inclusive Education System.

This will holistically address the support needs of learners with special education needs and disabilities.

“This policy has been consulted with various stakeholders and is currently being taken through the department’s internal approval processes where after, if approved, it will be published for public comment.”

According to the Annual Special School Surveys of 2013 and 2014, the number of learners with disabilities enrolled in 2013 was 116 888 with 116 740 enrolled in 2014. In ordinary schools, the enrolment was 80 702 in 2013 and 4 222 in 2014.

Statistics for enrolment of learners with disabilities in ordinary schools in 2014 and 2015 are not yet available.

The provincial education departments are planning to build 18 new special schools over the next four years.

Several actions have been introduced by the department to endure that significant number of vulnerable learners including learners with disabilities, who are out of school have access to quality education.

The department has established a protocol with the Social Development Department and the South African Social Security Agency to ensure that all children aged 5 to 18 years, who have Identification Numbers and who receive grants, are in school.

“To date this is the most effective method of identifying out-of-school children and youth of compulsory school going age,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za

Minister of Planning, Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, has encouraged learners in Pretoria to work hard in school in spite of the...

More South Africa Education ...