M. Tech. Business Information Systems / The Department of Education should be contributing to the South African government's objective to provide a better life for all. However, the provision of education to all is hampered by the fact that a significant majority of the South African population is plagued by high levels of poverty resulting in learners attending school without having had a nutritious meal. Consequently, the provision of food in South African schools, as a lead project of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, referred to as the 'feeding scheme', was introduced. This project aimed to improve both health and education by fighting malnutrition and improving the ability of learners to concentrate during lessons. The South African government provides the funds for the school feeding programme for learners from primary to secondary schools and the Department of Education spends a large amount of money on this programme nationally. However, there is no precise data showing how successful the feeding programme is. In order for the Department of Education to meet its objectives, it is recommended that an efficient system be developed for keeping records of all the reports. It is thus critical to explore the potential use of technologies, such as interactive voice response systems. The interactive voice response solutions have the potential to assist the Department of Education in monitoring and evaluating the school feeding programme in timely, accurate and reliable ways. This research aims to evaluate how this interactive voice response system can be implemented to effectively enhance the monitoring of the feeding programme in South African schools.

Thesis (MPAM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The purpose of the study was to investigate the causes of underachievement on the annual performance plan targets in the Limpopo Department of Basic Education Head Office, and to identify possible strategies to improve the current situation. The study was guided by three objectives and secondary data were analysed to answer the research question. This study utilised a qualitative research design as it allowed the researcher to identify and develop procedures necessary to undertake this study. The study used secondary data, a desktop study to investigate the causes of underachievement in the Limpopo Department of Basic Education. Literature points out that strategic planning affects all organisations and it is considered to be the most complicated stage in the strategic management processes as it requires discipline, commitment and sacrifice. If desired goals are not achieved as planned, the organisation might be doomed to failure. The researcher managed to achieve the objectives of the study. Based on the findings of the study, underachievement on annual performance plan targets is influenced by the following major factors. The study points out that, Firstly, that lack of monitoring and support followed by insufficient budget allocated to programmes’ implementation contribute to underachievement of planned targets. Secondly, lack of commitment from top management have an impact on achievement planned targets. Finally, budget is not allocated according to the needs, inadequate leadership to oversee implementation of plans and high vacancy rate contribute to underachievement on the planned targets. In conclusion, the Departmental performance plan and individual performance plan should be directly linked to ensure improved performance and quality service to the public. Based on the findings of this study it is therefore recommended that firstly, the department should strengthen alignment of budget and plans of the department to ensure successful implementation of programmes, secondly, capacity building and skills development programmes should be enhanced to ensure a skilled workforce and improved performance.

In terms of Section 29 (1) of the Constitution, everyone has the right to basic education. This right is not subject to ‘reasonable legislative and other measures, available resources and progressive realisation.’ The right to basic, compulsory education is widely regarded as a fundamental human right. For example, this right is included in a number of international human rights treaties such as the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, the ‘International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,’ the ‘African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child’, the ‘Convention on the Rights of the Child’, the ‘Dakar Framework for Action: Education for All’, and ‘UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education’. The South African Constitution, however, does not clarify the content and scope of the right to basic education. Consequently, the Constitution has given the state wide discretion to determine the scope, nature and content of this basic right. Apartheid left the South African education system fragmented and unequal. The South African educational system has gone through numerous curricula and institutional changes. The changes in the curriculum were part of the transformation process of the South African education system. In addition, the state has allocated substantial public funds towards basic education. However, the investment in basic education does not commensurate with the quality of teaching and learning in poor and marginalised schools. For example, several rural and farm schools in the Eastern Cape lacked toilet facilities; textbooks and other education support material; furniture; and other essential necessities. Education loses its transformative power when poor and marginalised schools continue to lack these essential services. Consequently, inequality is perpetuated and the poor and marginalised are unable to compete meaningfully in the social, economic and political life of South Africa. The mini dissertation concludes by recommending that the Department of Basic Education should ensure that all schools, especially those in rural communities and farms, have access to textbooks, qualified teachers, clean water and toilet facilities and other essential necessities needed for the delivery of quality basic education.

Social problems that are identified by government policy are articulated in ways that confer the responsibility of their management onto the state. In this way, policy reform serves as a means to justify political rule, as the ‘answers’ to policy failures are located within the realm of state intervention. This role of policy is maintained by the traditional definition of policy as it enables policies to be presented as the outcome of ‘necessary’ actions taken by state institutions to better the wellbeing of citizens. Since 1994, mainstream research on basic education policy in South Africa has employed traditional understandings of policy and its function. In doing so, these inquiries have failed to question the very idea of policy itself. They have also neglected to identify the productive role played by policy in the practice of power. To illuminate the necessary limits of policy reform, an alternative approach to analyse basic education policy is necessary. This thesis premises policy as discourse and advances a governmentality analysis of basic education policy during the first fifteen years of democracy (1994-2009) in South Africa. By drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, the study argues that government – ‘those actions upon the actions of others’ – during this period in South Africa was informed by both a liberal and a neo-liberal mentality of rule. The tensions between these two rationalities contributed to the continuation of apartheid’s socio-economic inequalities in the postapartheid era; an outcome buttressed by the contradictory impulses within basic education policy. By considering policy as a productive translation of governmental reasoning, the boundaries of intervention for future policy reforms are highlighted. These show that the inequalities that were perpetuated during the first fifteen years of democracy justify policy responses similar to those responsible for their production

Magister Artium - MA / There is global interest in teacher education as a strategy for national development. More specifically, emphasis is placed on teachers as the driving force behind educational provision which is central to achieving high standards of learner achievement. This study focused on teacher in-service development and its role for effective teaching and learning towards the holistic development of learners. Extensive social inequalities, along the lines of race, still exist in South Africa almost twenty years into the new dispensation. This is evident by the vast majority of impoverished schools in previously disadvantaged areas. Learners at these schools experience a range of barriers to learning which impede teaching and learning. Consequently, teachers at these schools are confronted with a tensionfilled task: having to be sensitive to the needs of these learners, whilst at the same having to ensure their success. This is reflected in Department of Education (DoE) policies which emphasises principles of social transformation for redress and equity, coupled with the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills for the benefit of individuals in South Africa, as well as global trends. As a quantitative data collection method in this mixed method study, 55 teachers (of which 26 responded) from two schools, were asked to complete a questionnaire on the effectiveness of teacher in-service development programmes towards the holistic development of learners. Qualitative data collection methods entailed interviewing a principal of one of the schools; a social worker from the area; as well as a district officer from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). In addition, relevant DoE policies were reviewed. Findings reflect that teachers at impoverished schools are confronted with a range of challenges presented by learners in the classrooms. The findings also indicate that even though DoE policies reflect a commitment to teacher development, the in-service programmes offered to teachers mostly do not reflect the needs of teachers for the holistic development of learners. In instances where inservice programmes do assist with the holistic development of learners, findings indicate that the implementation thereof is challenging due to the high teacher: learner ratio and limited resources. Thus, recommendations include the periodic monitoring and review of long-term DoE teacher development initiatives whilst short term measures incorporate giving attention to impediments like lack of parental support and behavioural challenge. Long term measures, which are strongly recommended, encompass systemic change that facilitates the working together of a number of governmental departments. In so doing, educational reform takes on a society wide form, as it is evident that on its own it cannot abate poverty and the related effects. Thus, the DoE’s vision of education for social transformation towards redress and equity, as well as economic growth for individuals and South Africa is more plausible. These recommendations create a vital space for future research.

The biggest impact that school governing bodies (SGBs) could probably have on school governance is by the appointment of quality additional educators and non-educators at the school. The South African Schools Act (SASA) provides, in section 20, for a public school to establish and employ staff in such positions. The school, as juristic person, becomes the employer and not the SGB which only acts as the agent on behalf of the school. Through this qualitative study I aimed to explore the expectations of parent members of different school SGBs regarding the appointment of staff members that are additional to the post establishment in public schools. By making use of semi-structured interviews, document analysis and a literature review I wanted to contribute to a more profound understanding of parents’ expectations of their roles in SGBs and as to what they want to achieve through being involved in SGBs. Through this I hope to improve relationships between parent members, educator members of SGBs and the principal. I determined that all parent members of SGBs are directed by bona fide intentions in that they think that they can make the greatest contribution to the learning and teaching culture of the school through the appointment of additional staff in order to have a better learner to teacher ratio in the classroom and in so doing improve the quality of teaching and learning at the school. I also determined that the parents’ expectations do not differ from one type of school to another and that all parents, irrespective of race, gender, language or culture basically have the same expectations. I discovered that schools increasingly appoint retired staff in SGB posts in order to keep their expertise at the school. Schools also appoint student teachers in posts to assist teachers at the school. This is a huge advantage to education in that they are trained in their profession at no additional cost to the government. By taking the financial position and the curriculum requirements at the school into account parent members of SGBs see it their primary duty to make sufficient finances available to enable schools to appoint additional staff. This practice is perhaps the only way to ensure quality education to all learners. The lack of financial capabilities at most schools makes the correct use of this function unavailable to them. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Various studies have highlighted the problems faced in accounting education. Some of these problems refer to the stagnating accounting curriculum, limited resources available to students from designated black empowerment groups, and the underdevelopment of skills required by practice. This study focuses specifically on the problems faced in secondary and tertiary accounting education in South Africa (SA) and the effects of these problems on practice. The first article of this study emphasises the various causes for the declining pass rate in firstyear chartered accountancy (CA) students. For this purpose, the researcher gathered information on the perceptions of first-year CA students and of lecturers involved in departments of accounting at SA universities. One of the possible causes identified is the apparent gap between school and university accounting education, especially in respect of curriculum, teaching quality and textbooks. The study revealed that students from designated black empowerment groups are facing the most problems in SA accounting education. The second article addressed the skills shortages in first-year CA trainees that practitioners have to deal with. According to the results, the majority of the participants felt that universities do not sufficiently equip students with the skills necessary to be successful in practice. The skills shortages identified included the inability of first-year trainees to determine the extent of testing needed in audits and to think independently. It also seemed as if first-year trainees lack professional communication skills and cannot sufficiently apply theory learnt at university in practice. These are only some skills with which universities are expected to equip students in order to be successful in practice. The researcher drew conclusions and made recommendations based on the information obtained from the above-mentioned two studies. / MCom (Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Various studies have highlighted the problems faced in accounting education. Some of these problems refer to the stagnating accounting curriculum, limited resources available to students from designated black empowerment groups, and the underdevelopment of skills required by practice. This study focuses specifically on the problems faced in secondary and tertiary accounting education in South Africa (SA) and the effects of these problems on practice. The first article of this study emphasises the various causes for the declining pass rate in firstyear chartered accountancy (CA) students. For this purpose, the researcher gathered information on the perceptions of first-year CA students and of lecturers involved in departments of accounting at SA universities. One of the possible causes identified is the apparent gap between school and university accounting education, especially in respect of curriculum, teaching quality and textbooks. The study revealed that students from designated black empowerment groups are facing the most problems in SA accounting education. The second article addressed the skills shortages in first-year CA trainees that practitioners have to deal with. According to the results, the majority of the participants felt that universities do not sufficiently equip students with the skills necessary to be successful in practice. The skills shortages identified included the inability of first-year trainees to determine the extent of testing needed in audits and to think independently. It also seemed as if first-year trainees lack professional communication skills and cannot sufficiently apply theory learnt at university in practice. These are only some skills with which universities are expected to equip students in order to be successful in practice. The researcher drew conclusions and made recommendations based on the information obtained from the above-mentioned two studies. / MCom (Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This research study examines those aspects of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) that could be socially and culturally relevant in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, for teaching meteorological science concepts in a grade 9 Social Science (Geography) classroom using dialogical argumentation as an instructional model (DAIM). The literature reviewed in this study explains the use of argumentation as an instructional method of classroom teaching in particular dialogical argumentation, combined with IKS (Indigenous Knowledge Systems), which in this study is seen as a powerful tool both in enhancing learners’ views and positively identifying indigenous knowledge systems within their own cultures and communities, and as tool that facilitates the learning of (meteorological) literacy and science concepts. With the development of the New Curriculum Statements (NCS) and the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for schools, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) of South Africa acknowledges a strong drive towards recognising and affirming the critical role of IK, especially with respect to science and technology education. The policy suggests that the Department of Education take steps to begin the phased integration of IK into curricula and relevant accreditation frameworks. Using a quasi-experimental research design model, the study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods (mixed-methods) to collect data in two public secondary schools in Cape Town, in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. A survey questionnaire on attitudes towards, and perceptions of high school, of a group of grade 9 learners, as well as their conceptions of weather, was administered before the main study to give the researcher baseline information and to develop pilot instruments to use in the main study. An experimental group (E-group) of learners were exposed to an intervention - the results were recorded against a control group (C-group) that were exposed to no intervention. Both the E-group and C-group were exposed to a Meteorological Literacy Test (MLT) evaluation before and after the DAIM intervention. The results from the two groups were then compared and analysed according to the two theoretical frameworks underpinning the study, namely, Toulmin’s Argumentation Pattern - TAP (Toulmin, 1958) and Contiguity Argumentation Theory - CAT (Ogunniyi, 1997). The findings of this study revealed that: Firstly, the socio-cultural background of learners has an influence on their conceptions of weather prediction and there was a significant difference between boy’s and girls’ pre-test conceptions about the existence of indigenous knowledge systems within the community they live in. For instance, from the learners’ excerpts, it emerged that the girls presented predominantly rural experiences as opposed to those of the boys which were predominantly from urban settings. Secondly, those E-group learners exposed to the DAIM intervention shifted from being predominantly equipollent to the school science to emergent stances and they found a way of connecting their IK to the school science. The DAIM model which allowed argumentation to occur amongst learners seemed to have enhanced their understanding of the relevance of IK and how its underlying scientific claims relate to that of school science. Thirdly, the argumentation-based instructional model was found to be effective to a certain extent in equipping the in-service teachers with the necessary argumentation skills that could enable them to take part in a meaningful discourse. The study drew on the personal experiences and encounters from a variety of sources. These included storytelling-and sharing, academic talks with local community members recorded during the research journey, formal round table discussion and talks at international and local conferences, conference presentations, informal interviews, indigenous chats at social event-meetings, and shared experiences at IKS training workshops as a facilitator. These encounters lead to the formulation of the research study and occurred throughout the country in various parts of the Southern African continent including: Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Tanzania and Mozambique.

Text in English / The Department of Education nationwide introduced HIV and AIDS care and support for learning and teaching programmes as intervention strategies for supporting vulnerable learners. Despite these interventions, teenagers continue to fall pregnant and this increases their vulnerability to HIV infection. HIV and STIs are rife among teenagers owing to ignorance and peer pressure, among other factors. The aim of this exploratory qualitative study was to explore factors that influence condom use among high school teenagers aged between 16 and 18 in Dutywa District. Focus group discussions and in-depth face-to-face interviews with 12 high school teenagers from one high school (High School X) were used to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The findings of this study revealed that high school teenagers are not using condoms to any significant degree. In their opinion, condoms limit sexual pleasure; they indicate a lack of trust and unfaithfulness between partners and are associated with sexually transmitted diseases. The findings of this study are significant for the policy implementation of schools. / Sociology / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV and AIDS)