Teachers to get lesson plans

2010-02-11 22:39

President Jacob Zuma looks up during his State of the Nation speech in Parliament, Cape Town. (Schalk van Zuydam, AP)

Michael Hamlyn

Cape Town - Education targets set by the government are simple but critical, President Jacob Zuma said, outlining his administration's plans in the State of the Nation address at the opening of Parliament on Thursday evening.

"We will assist teachers by providing detailed daily lesson plans," he said.

"We will provide easy to use work books in all 11 languages to pupils. From this year onwards all Grade 3, 6 and 9 students will write literacy and numeracy tests that are independently moderated."

He said the government intended to increase the pass rate for these tests from the current rate of between 30% and 45% to at least 60% by 2014. The results will be sent to parents to track progress.

The president said to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament that each of the country's 27 000 schools would be assessed by officials from the department of basic education. School inspections are to be reinstituted.

"This will be recorded in an auditable written report," he said.

He urged parents to co-operate with the new drive so that the plan, to increase the number of matric exemptions to 175 000 a year by 2014, would be a success.

Development

He also spoke of those pupils who do not make it to university, saying that the government plans to increase the training of 16 to 25 year olds in further education and training facilities "to provide a second chance at education for those who do not qualify for university".

"We are working with the higher education institutions to ensure that eligible students obtain financial assistance through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme," he said.

"We have also set ambitious targets for skills development to produce additional engineers and technicians and to increase the number of qualified mathematics and science teachers."

He also stressed the importance of increasing the number of young people who enter learnerships in the private and public sectors of industry.

- I-Net Bridge (News24)