End-of-Year Message from Education MEC Cameron Dugmore

"In spite of a difficult year, there is no reason to be anxious"

This year was without a doubt a very difficult year for the entire education community in the country and in this province.

We are all aware that the prolonged industrial action earlier this year, has impacted heavily on all of our lives. However, I have no reason to be anxious about the matric or other grade results.

Even though the strike in June affected schooling for up to three weeks in communities that could least afford this disruption, when a call was made once the strike was over, you have rallied to catch up via extra revision programmes; tuition after school hours; on Saturday mornings; and at Winter and Spring schools during the holidays. I want to applaud the scores of principals that have even followed own initiative.

I believe you did your best to prepare our children fully - not only for the exams, but for life in general, especially for those who are on the brink of adulthood. I am confident that the extra effort put in by all of you will make an important difference to the final results.

I know that many of you have during the years sacrificed family and personal time, perhaps to be a safety net and a guiding hand for a child destined for the streets, steering him away from a world of drugs and crime and waste. It is often these unselfish acts by many of you, that stand between social order and chaos.

I want to salute all of you who have been diligently arriving on time for school, properly preparing for classroom lessons, conducting examinations and tests with integrity, and giving hope to the future.

I acknowledge that you need more than just verbal recognition for your dedication and of the demands that you face. You need tangible recognition for your unremitting efforts to hold the social fabric together.

Therefor I sincerely hope that you will grab the opportunities presented by the National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development, issued by Minister Naledi Pandor, as it provides clear and coherent policies for the recruitment, professional preparation and continuing professional development of teachers.

In addition, I remain optimistic that a solution can be reached at a national level on the outstanding agreements on pay progression and the Occupation Specific Dispensation. It would be a travesty if agreement is not reached, and money rightfully belonging to you do not reach you.

I also want to pay tribute to all the schools, which have for the first time ever, signed commitments during the first term to set targets to improve the quality of matric pass rates in the Western Cape.

We will use the targets to hold all responsible to account, including WCED management and support staff. In the end, we want the targets to encourage excellence and to provide clear objectives as we strive to provide quality education for all.

The year 2007 is coming to an end I wish you a happy and safe, holiday break. But before we can enjoy our well-deserved rest we need to ensure that we have made provision for safety and security during the festive season.

Warm regards enjoy and have a safe journey.

Cameron Dugmore, MPP
MEC for Education
Western Cape

(From the Safe Schools Directorate)

Dear Principal

The SA Police Service has given their commitment to do visible patrols at schools over the festive season. Please liase with your sector commander in your area to ensure that your school is being serviced.

Your Safe Schools Co-ordinator has arranged holiday patrols for high-risk schools. The newly appointed Safety Resource Officers will be having holiday programmes with learners from the 3rd - 14 December 2007 with selected high risk schools.

Please ensure that:

• All valuable items are stored away in a safe and secure space eg. Safe
• Your alarm system is in a working condition and that it is activated before you leave your school
• That your armed response company will respond to the alarm,by testing it
• That you implement the Protect our Property Campaign
  

Vandalism - the willful destruction or defacing of property - is a crime. It is expensive to repair. It makes our schools and communities unattractive and unsafe. It isn't cool.

Schools pay a lot of money to-do repairs to buildings and replace vandalized equipment. That is money that could have been used to buy sports equipment or new computers, etc.
Government, the WCED per se pay the bills for vandalism. Once again, these monies could be more effectively utilized to enhance education.

People feel angry, hurt and sometimes frightened when something of theirs - a car, house, bike, etc. has been stolen, vandalized or destroyed for no reason.
Learners experience the same hurt when their classrooms or school has been vandalized.

Schools are being vandalized for various reasons:
- need for money;
- teens spraying graffiti out of boredom;
- revenge;
- defiance
- association with friends

Vandalism in schools has become a monumental problem. The funding used for the unnecessary expenditure on vandalism could be spent more constructively. There is a necessity to curb the abuse of school property. How can communities help to prevent the ongoing destruction of school property?

10 POINTS to help POP (Protect Our Property)

1. Network effectively to have human resources available to monitor he school during the holidays, i.e. neighbourhood watch, armed response company, local police, school watch (learners, parents), media, etc.
2. Start a Vandalism Hotline in co-operation with the police.
3. Teach parents to monitor their children's various stages of development, his or her changes in interest, friends, activities, attitudes, etc.
4. Teach your children about the effects of vandalism on the school. Create awareness of this evil.
5. Use the talented graffiti-artists in a positive, non-destructive way.
6. Inform children of the criminal consequences of vandalism.
7. Work with your faith community to adopt a street or park with your school, youth, or community group.
8. Secure school property by visibly marking school property by postcoding / unique numbering (selectamark).
9. Suspicious persons loitering in an area where an act of vandalism may be committed should be reported immediately. Do not assume somebody else has made the call.
10. Report vandalism and all school crime to the SAFE SCHOOLS CALL CENTRE, toll-free number 0800 45 46 47.

THANK YOU

NAME OF SCHOOL:

CONTACT DETAILS:

NAME OF PRINCIPAL:

• Home tel number:
• Fax:
• Cell no. 1
• Cell no. 2

CONTACT PERSON DURING HOLIDAYS:

• Home telephone number:
Fax:
• Cell no. 1
• Cell no. 2

NEAREST POLICE STATION:

• Contact person:
• Contact details:

ARMED RESPONSE COMPANY:

• Contact person:
• Contact details:
• Alarm in working condition and link to armed response company: YES NO

POP CAMPAIGN IMPLEMENTED: YES NO

Enquiries:

Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Officer
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

The Western Cape - A Home for All
INtshona Koloni - iKhaya loMntu wonke
Die Wes-Kaap - 'n Tuiste vir Almal