New Learner Tracking System Will Improve Efficiency and Quality

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is developing a new learner tracking system to help improve both efficiency and the quality of education in the province. The system will track learners from the time they enter Grade 1 until they leave school in Grade 12.

The WCED will conduct a major census of learners during the second half of 2005 to develop a single database of all learners in the Western Cape, that will form the basis of the learner tracking system.

"Our statistics on learner numbers are based mainly on a snap survey at the start of the year, and a more comprehensive annual survey during the course of the year," said Peter Present, Director of Research at the WCED. The surveys provide data for the WCED's Education Management Information System (EMIS).

"The surveys are supposed to identify the number of learners in the system each year. However, studies of promotion results have shown that statistics provided by schools are not always accurate.

"We have to have a system that monitors learner numbers reliably. We allocate resources according to these numbers, such as teaching posts and norms and standards funding. Accurate data will enable us to ensure that we allocate resources as fairly and as equitably as possible.

"We therefore decided that the most efficient way to get a better handle on learner numbers in the system would be to implement a learner tracking system that will tell us exactly where an individual learner is at any particular time."

Said Education MEC Cameron Dugmore: "The system will help the department to respond more efficiently and effectively in communities experiencing high levels of learner migration between schools, and to allocate resources accurately where they are needed the most. In addition to ensuring fair allocation of resources, the system will enable the department to analyses trends and needs in fine detail."

The WCED hopes to have the learner tracking system in place by January 2006. The department has awarded a tender to Deloitte and SAB&T to assist in collecting data for the database by November 2005.

The database will include about 20 field of information. The system will enable the WCED to study learner profiles, determine why learners may have dropped out of school, and to design appropriate responses.

Schools will also be able to use the database to manage their own data, for administration and monitoring purposes, for example, for studying learner movements and performance.

Every learner will receive a unique learner number that will enable the WCED to keep track of each learner should they transfer between schools. The system will enable the WCED to know on a daily or monthly basis where learners are, as opposed to once year, based on aggregated survey results.

The project team has launched the project with a communication campaign to inform all school principals and their assistants about the project and the procedures involved.

The team will distribute data to schools in hardcopy and electronic formats, and will deploy teams to collect information and to ensure that schools complete all forms accurately. Team members will assist schools where necessary, but collecting forms and capturing data where schools are unable to do so themselves.

Deloitte and SAB&T plan to see school representatives on at least three occasions to give practical training and to assist with data capturing where necessary. The WCED plans to issue learner identity numbers in December 2005. The department plans to finalise the database in January 2006, and expects the learner tracking system to be fully operational by March 2006.

Schools needing further information or assistance can contact the project team via a toll-free number at 0800-204-800, the project cell number at 083-520-5794, or email cemis@pgwc.gov.za.

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi: 082 550 3938, or gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.

Gert Witbooi Media Secretary Office of the MEC for Education Western Cape

Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

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