PRINCIPALS UPFRONT WEBINAR KEY NOTE ADDRESS 22 JULY

PRINCIPALS UPFRONT WEBINAR KEY NOTE ADDRESS 22 JULY 2020

GDE VISION AND MISSION VISION Every learner feels valued and inspired in our innovative education system MISSION We are committed to provide functional and modern schools that enable quality teaching and learning to protect and promote the right of every learner to quality, equitable and relevant education 2

INTRODUCTION • The GDEs vision of an ‘innovative education system’ and its mission of providing ‘functional and modern schools’ bears testament to the stance of the province with respect to the use of technology in promoting teaching and learning • This stance was extolled by the MEC at various platforms with the slogan ‘One learner one tablet, one teacher one laptop, one classroom one smartboard’

CLASSIC PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTION TO CHANGE

UNTIMELY FORCES OF CHANGE Change is happening at an unprecedented, whirlwind pace • The COVID-19 pandemic has created a perfect storm for technologies – paving the way for transformative changes in the way we live and radically disrupting almost every sector – Misunderstanding about the need for change/when the reason for the change is unclear • believe the current way of doing things works well…and has done for twenty years! – Fear of the unknown • the risks of standing still are greater than those of moving forward in a new direction – Lack of competence • change in organizations necessitates changes in skills, and some people will feel that they won’t be able to make the transition very well

UNTIMELY FORCES OF CHANGE • • • Connected to the old way – those emotional connections to those who taught your audience the old way – and that’s not trivial Low trust – When people don’t believe that they, or the company, can competently manage the change there is likely to be resistance Temporary fad – When people belief that the change initiative is a temporary fad Changes to routines – comfort zones or routines make us secure. So there’s bound to be resistance whenever change requires us to do things differently Exhaustion/Saturation – Don’t mistake compliance for acceptance. People who are overwhelmed by continuous change resign themselves to it and go along with the flow. . Motivation is low Benefits and rewards – When the benefits and rewards for making the change are not seen as adequate for the trouble involved

GDE PROGRAMMES TO DATE • The use of SA-SAMS as a data resource hub that is used for planning and budgeting • Principals Vodacom platform achieved through a partnership with Vodacom • Contracts with Microsoft for the use of the platform in designing online systems • The Admissions Online App which has been evolving over the years and now includes electronic uploading of documents and auto verification • Development of applications for Whole School Improvement, School Readiness and SGB elections

CURRENT SITUATION • On 16 March 2020 when the President of the Republic of South Africa declared a National State of Disaster and a National Lockdown on 26 March 2020, the reliance on online platforms became more relevant and necessary • The impact on the 2020 school calendar became an inherent part of the GDEs activities to mitigate the negative impact on Curriculum Delivery and other deliverables • The Gauteng Department of Education developed School Reopening Post Covid-19 action plans and measures for 2020 going forward for all sectors of the department 8

CURRICULUM FOCUS • The GDE has adopted various strategies in the curriculum recovery process focusing on the following: – Recovery of teaching time which focuses on the length of the teaching day and the length of the school term – Curriculum interventions, which include a review of the curriculum, so that the core content that needs to be covered in the time available is not compromised – Review of the assessment and examinations requirements in light of the reviewed / re-organised curriculum – The Recovery Plan focuses on curriculum and assessment recovery from Grades R to Grade 12 9

LEADERSHIP and MANAGEMENT FOCUS • Programmes are being developed using approaches which are online, correspondence and remote – Training of school principals on the readiness for re- opening schools was concluded using MS Teams • All programs include awareness of Covid 19 safety and health measures – Meetings have shifted to online platforms – Surveys and questionnaires are being done via links on email and/or whatsapp • Program targets have been revised to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and where this was not possible the program has been postponed

TRAINING INTERVENTION • Various training initiatives have been designed and implemented – Capacitate GDE community on COVID-19 containment and prevention measures – Prepare GDE institutions for an approach in line with the National Command Council Strategy – Inculcate a culture of OHS compliance and adapting to the new normal – Ensuring that all role-players understand adopt the use of technology in teaching and learning

MOVING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM • Is remote schooling mostly impossible for the poor? • Currently, the technology and human capacity are simply inadequate • Moreover, a large percentage of South African learners receive publicly funded meals at schools, in a context where even before the pandemic, 11% of learners were in households which experienced hunger at some point in the year • The low quality of schooling meant that many who were in school learnt too little • In low- and middle-income communities more than half of all 10 -year-old children couldn’t read and understand a simple age-appropriate story • The sad reality is that it is the most disadvantaged children and youth who have the worst access to schooling, highest dropout rates and the largest learning deficits

CONCLUSION – ‘NO LEARNER LEFT BEHIND’ • As schools move toward online, digital and remote teaching as a result of Covid-19, it is time for a mindset shift regarding the future of learning – the world has changed forever, and even when students return to school, they will be building on the skills they developed during lockdown • It is therefore inevitably important for schools, parents and students to embrace this progressive way of teaching and learning – the new normal – even as we look forward to getting back to our usual physical interactions, we understand that traditional forms will no longer dominate learning; technology is increasingly taking the front seat • The unique and unprecedented circumstances in which we now find ourselves, provide a perfect opportunity to develop and entrench those global competencies which otherwise might not have received sufficient focus during normal school time

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