A Rhodes University-based education expert says he is not surprised with the overall decline of the matric pass rate of public schools in the Grahamstown district, because fundamental problems, not least the way that outcomes based education has undermined the role of teachers, are being perpetuated.
A Rhodes University-based education expert says he is not surprised with the overall decline of the matric pass rate of public schools in the Grahamstown district, because fundamental problems, not least the way that outcomes based education has undermined the role of teachers, are being perpetuated.
Prof Marc Schäfer says a lack of resources is a serious concern, but this is not the only issue facing schools in the Eastern Cape. He argues that there are shining examples of schools that do well despite a lack of resources.
“Also, I don’t think we must over-intellectualise the problems,” he said. “For example, the chaos in Nyaluza Secondary School, whiched to the collapse of leadership at the school, is a perfect example of what happens when fundamental school governing principles collapse.
This is largely to blame for the appauling results at that school,” he explained. Matric pass rates plummetted a staggering 50.8% to a 9.6% at the school in the recent exams. Schäfer added that teachers need to be at work if progress is to be made.
He cited a national study which reveals that, in general, teachers in South African schools spend an average of three hours re-look at what is meant by accountability of the entire school community.
Yes, many schools in Grahamstown are situated in a context of poverty and squalor, but this does not legitimise unprofessionalism and a lack of commitment to teaching and learning,” he said.
Schäfer said the Mail & Guardian recently reported that the national government spent R17-billion building stadiums for the upcoming soccer World Cup. Schäfer said that had the money been spent on the country’s 26 000 schools, each school would have received R650 000. “Where do our priorities lie?” he asked.
While some experts argue that teachers are not well trained in assessing children’s reading and writing development so as to observe them carefully and intervene when a child needs individual support, Schäfer argued that assessment is also linked to the knowledge that the teachers impart to learners in the first place.
“Further[more]this is not just the teachers’ problem, there is also the widescale syndrome of lack of parental involvement,” he explained. “If children are not encouraged to read and write at home we can’t expect them to bring a culture of reading and writing into the classroom.”
According to Schafer, Outcomes Based Education (OBE) was never alive in public schools. He said that since its introduction the biggest probem was “the huge disjuncture” between its philosophy and its implementation.
“The teachers (and the entire school community) did not understand OBE due to a lack of adequate training and awareness.” Schäfer said that OBE requires teachers who are very skilled in a critical pedagogy.
“I don’t think South Africa was ready for it,” he said, adding that a large number of unqualified and demotivated teachers and education department officials has not helped the situation. “The synergy between the district offices and schools is not productive enough.
There’s a lot of mistrust, suspicion and a lack of confidence both ways,” Schäfer said. “There is a need to restore levels of legitimacy, and a culture of professionalism, accountability and commitment.” For Schäfer OBE has become a “cliched concept”.
“Before revising any curriculum they [education department]need to ensure a basic level of quality in infrastructure and availability of and access to appropriate resources.
They need to ensure that schools are attractive, inspiring and comfortable environments of learning and teaching.”
Ac c o rding to Schäfer, OBE “de-emphasised” the role of teachers – something which he strongly disagrees with as he views their role as key to successful learning.
“OBE has become a rhetoric for politicians and policy makers that doesn’t translate into a workable practice. In the first place we need teachers who are passionate about their content, their teaching practice and about their school. Simply erecting a school building is not enough.
A school needs an inspiring ethos, effective leadership and management and a committed cohort of teachers,” he said.
