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There have been a number of reports in the media recently regarding the preparedness of our youth to study at a higher education level. These have largely drawn on a research report by Dr Nan Yeld, following the testing of some 12 000 university students, under the auspices of the National Benchmark Tests Project.

The Department of Basic Education has not yet received a copy of the full report, but once we do we will certainly consider it very carefully, and engage with the author in terms of the process and the findings. We welcome all evidence, even if it is critical. The summary report does however recognise the possibility that the test may have been unrealistically difficult, and therefore cautions institutions to "exercise caution in interpreting the results".

Notwithstanding this we do not wish to contest the core findings, since these serve only to confirm in many respects the commonly held view that our education system is under-performing. It is our view therefore that the results of the tests which have been published should not be used to restate this view, but rather to serve as a benchmark to determine whether we are getting better. Since this was the first time these tests had been conducted, they do not tell us anything at all about past trends, and will only be of value in the future. As a country, apart from the National Senior certificate results (which were also new last year, preventing any comparison with previous years), the best trend evidence we have on performance is from our systemic evaluations conducted in Grade 3 and 6 on a regular basis. Albeit starting from a low base, these scores improved by between 25 and 30% over a three year period - a system level improvement which the 2008 OECD Review described as "significant".

The results of the Benchmark Tests therefore confirm our own concerns as the Department of Education, and justify the decision of this government to make education its number one priority. It also explains why we have appealed for the improvement of education to become a societal matter, and not something that will be dealt with only by government. The Quality Teaching and Learning Campaign (QLTC) brings together every possible stakeholder in education, and binds them to a specific set of commitments around quality. It includes the non-negotiables for teachers (".. in class, on time, and teaching..."), as well as for learners (doing homework and respecting teachers), parents (actively supervising their children's progress) and governing bodies, as well as for education administrators, who have committed to regular visits to support schools. If all of these happened, we believe that quality would improve dramatically.

In line with international studies, we recognise that a good quality education begins in the foundations of the schooling system. A year of pre-school education has been shown to have the most dramatic impact upon the performance of the child in later years, and hence we announced a while back our intention to offer every child such an opportunity. At present, around 77% of children do so, with around 700 000 five year olds enrolled in a Grade R class at a public school, or in a community based or private ECD facility. As announced by the President in the State of the Nation address, we expect to achieve universal enrolment by 2014, and there is no doubt that we should start to reap the benefits of this investment in years to come.

We don't only stop there, but also place great emphasis on building solid foundations is carried through to the next phase of the system: the Grade 1-3 "junior primary" phase, and the Grade 4-6 "intermediate" phase. In 208, all schools were provided with a Foundations for Learning Gazette, which spelt out, in plain language, three things: firstly - what teachers should be doing on a daily basis in each of these Grades; secondly - to specify what children should be learning and be able to do at the end of each Grade; and thirdly - what resources are necessary to achieve this. These directives have been hugely welcomed by teachers, and unions have become some of the most vocal advocates of the campaign.

We conduct National Assessments in every school for Grades 1 to 6, and these provide valuable data about the performance of individual learners, schools and Districts. Detailed analysis of the results provides feedback to schools and Districts about their areas of strength, and areas of weakness to which they should attend. Schools are strongly encouraged to share these results with parents, so they may join in the effort to improve.

Most would agree that there are three basic conditions to sustaining these improvements. One is the nature of the curriculum, second is the quality and commitment of the teachers, and the third is the availability of suitable resources to support teaching and learning.

As one of her first steps, the Minister of Basic Education instituted a review of the implementation of the curriculum (and not of the curriculum itself). Public hearings, as well as an electronic page linked to the Department's Thutong portal, have enabled hundreds of teachers to report on the challenges they face in delivering the national curriculum. The Minister has committed herself to eliminating any unnecessary barriers to the effective implementation of the National Curriculum Statement, and has directed that those aspects that can be corrected be done in time for the start of the 2010 school year. More substantive aspects requiring a longer lead-in time will be phased in, but with the urgency they deserve. The emphasis on empowering the teacher in the classroom is a strong message that is being sent out through this process.

In regard to Foundation Phase teachers, we have targeted training in basic literacy and numeracy, including the teaching of reading, which seems to have been missing from the initial, pre-service training. Secondary teachers have been supported in areas such as Mathematics, Physical Science, Accounting and language teaching - all of which have been shown to be weak parts of our system.

The huge reduction in the number of unqualified teachers in the system should make a difference in terms of the content knowledge base of our teachers, and the introduction of the newly graduated Funza Lushaka bursary holders is serving to revitalise the teaching profession.

The other important factor to ensure quality outcomes in education is linked to resources. We are aware that many schools - especially poor schools - have not had adequate resources. The QIDS-UP programme, an "affirmative action" programme for poor schools, has seen a significant injection of essential resources into these schools, and we will be expecting better results as an outcome of this.

We have now embarked on an even more ambitious intervention programme, together with the Presidency, to ensure that every child receives the required learning materials. For primary learners, this will mean a pack of resources, including a workbook, which will be aligned to the curriculum and to other support materials that have been produced. At the secondary level, we are also working with the Presidency to ensure that every learner has a full set of seven textbooks - one for every subject. International evidence again shows us that a good textbook can compensate for a poorly trained or uncommitted teacher, and make up for social disadvantages that may be linked to poverty and a lack of parental support. In both cases we will be following national procurement avenues to ensure maximum economies of scale, and national distribution processes to ensure that no child is left without because of where they are at school. We have committed to a target of ensuring that at least 60% of learners (in poorer, no-fee schools will receive these books at the start of the new school year in 2010.

Also working together with the Presidency, we will be increasing our efforts and investments to monitor performance of all involved in education, and to ensure compliance with policy and legislation. We will establish the necessary structures to visit schools and classrooms on a regular and unannounced basis, to ensure materials are delivered and being used, teachers are teaching and children learning, and managers are keeping a close eye on the school. Districts will also be visited to see if they are indeed providing support to schools, and provincial and national offices will also be open to public scrutiny. And wherever we fail to meet expectations, at any level, we must be held to account.

I hope the above provides some evidence that the Department of Basic Education is concerned about the quality of our schooling system, and has been for some time. I hope it also demonstrates that we are actively committed to ensuring continuous improvement of quality in all our schools, but that "together, we can do even more".

The President has provided the lead in his meeting with school principals, where he invited us all to make education a national project. It is up to us to take this forward, to get involved in our schools, to meet with our principals and teachers, in a compact for quality teaching and learning.

I do not believe this national task is helped by reports and articles like those that have appeared, which serve only to define our youth in a negative light. There are too many recent school leavers who are shining stars in all respects; we must be getting something right as a nation!

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