Committee Report on Department of Basic Education Budget Vote 14

Meeting report

Draft Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Budget Vote 14

The Committee went through the draft report page by page.

Dr A Lovemore (DA) asked that on page 2, bullet 2.1 the words ‘with targets’ be replaced with ‘the’. And on the same page, bullet 2.2 the words ‘practical completion or otherwise’ be removed completely. The Committee agreed to her request.

Ms C Majeke (ANC) suggested on page 3, bullet 2.3.4 the words ‘one textbook per subject’ to add the word ‘and learner’ to make it coherent. The Committee approved the change.

Dr Lovemore requested the grammatical correction in page 23, bullet 3.2.9 of the word ‘referring’ to ‘referred’. The Committee approved the suggestion. On page 25, bullet 3.3.1 the sentence did not sound right and suggested it be changed to ‘all educators who are conditionally registered are given a five year period in order to complete their teaching qualifications’.

The Committee approved her suggestion.

Mr A Mpontshane (IFP) referred to page 26. Bullet 3.3.1.5, and questioned the use of the word ‘Professional Standards Model’ as he had never heard of that before, and asked the Committee to explain it to him. Dr Lovemore expressed her unfamiliarity with the term and thus supported the removal of that term completely.

Ms H Boshoff (DA) requested that on page 27, bullet 3.3.2, the last sentence is re-written to read ‘The Portfolio Committee was concerned that SACE may not have the necessary capacity and resources to be involved in the setting of standards of the Initial Teacher Training’. Dr Lovemore added that it was correct to make the sentence sound that way. The Committee did not object to that recommendation.

Dr Lovemore referred to page 27, bullet 3.3.2 and asked for the third point to be removed because the extra staff has already been appointed. The committee agreed that was true. On the same bullet, she requested that the sentence be adjusted to read ‘The Department of Basic Education should always provide support and assistance to the Council’ and cancel the rest of the sentence. The Committee deliberated on the sentence that says ‘submitting the necessary report to the Portfolio Committee’ and felt that it was obvious the Department had to do this, and there was no need to repeat their mandate. The Committee agreed to delete the last part of the sentence.

Mr Mpontshane suggested that on page 28, bullet 3.3.2, the sentence about the Democratic Alliance objecting to the SACE strategic plan, should include the wording ‘majority parties supported the report’.

Mr D Mnguni ANC proposed that the report be adopted, seconded my Mr Mpontshane and Dr Lovemore. The report was adopted.

The Chairperson thanked Committee Members for their commitment to the work of the Committee and the notable quality standard of the report. Also, she applauded the friendliness and polite behaviour of the members.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting.