Science Resource Centres (SRCs) were initiated by an educational non-governmental organisation in various districts of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. These SRCs were intended to assist with professional development of Physical Sciences and Mathematics teachers, and to assist the under-resourced schools of KwaZulu-Natal with science resources, including Physical Sciences experiment kits, physics and chemistry apparatus and other educational resources. Science resources encompassed specialists, objects, policies and facilities to enhance the teaching of Physical Sciences. These science resources were usually coupled with professional development programmes that addressed content knowledge and effective use of science equipment through workshops on specific science topics and classroom support to teachers. Workshops were funded by the SRCs, and the focus was on physics and chemistry topics that teachers found challenging to teach. This study explored the use of the SRC by Physical Sciences teachers of the Empangeni education district in KwaZulu-Natal, and also aimed to determine whether the SRC was serving its intended purpose. In gathering data this qualitative study utilised individual interviews with Physical Sciences teachers whose schools were affiliated to the SRC. Document analysis produced data with regard to the frequency of loaning of science equipment by Physical Sciences teachers. The findings of this study revealed that the level of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) development of Physical Sciences teachers was one of the key factors that influenced the use of science resources in science teaching. This emerged through an analysis of teachers’ PCK, specifically using the frames of Content Representations (CoRes) and Pedagogical and Professional experience Repertoires (PaP-eRs). Lack of support from school management, lack of funding for affiliation and shortage of resources at the SRC were some of the factors that had an impact on use of the SRC by Physical Sciences teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The purposes of this abstract is to mirror the origin of the research, its contents, the key research findings, what and how the research was conducted. The research on Equitable Criteria for Funding and Financial Management for the PELT Resource Centres in Mozambique was born out of the desire to establish an even, fair distribution of wealth in a manner that is principled and ethically acceptable in a society of ever-growing demands and unforeseeable irregular supplies of already scarce resources. In the report, 'equitable' is used to mean the balancing in accord with local and/ or relative needs. The goal of the research is to establish equitable criteria for funding or resourcing, user-friendly but user-responsible ways/mechanisms of financial planning, controlling and reporting and sources of funding or resourcing. The contents have been organised into five chapters. They consist of methods, a brief description of the research title, statement of purpose, critical questions and core hypotheses. Other contents include a literature review, conceptual and theoretical framework, data treatment, general discussion of the research findings and references. The research findings fall under two main categories: the decision making and resource allocation process, and financial management. The research findings show that the decision making and resource allocation process hosts problems such as resource allocation imbalances, exclusion of resource managers in key decision making and resource allocation processes, lack of equitable criteria for funding, managers' attitudes which blockade resource allocation, refusing resources to certain areas because of assumptions that they do not have the ability and resources to manage resources, etc. With regard to financial management, there are some small scale irregularities in principle which are very significant. These include delays in financial transactions, lack of sound financial accounting knowledge and skills and efficient communication. These problems are genuine and legitimate, and they should be resolved. Thus, some solutions have been suggested herein. The following are the main areas of solution interventions: devolution of powers and authorities to local level management, involvement of lower management in the policy, decision making and resource allocation process, negotiated decentralised financial management, and use of identified criteria for funding and criteria for procurement. Other areas encompass effective communication, financial accounting training and negotiating funding with provincial and national education authorities. The research involved twenty lower and senior managers from the in-service training of teachers of English in ten provinces in Mozambique. They all responded to the questionnaires, some participated in the interview schedule and others in the focus group. The last two methods were designed to reinforce the questionnaire data collection, validity and reliability of the research. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 2000.

The Post-Provisioning Model (PPM) is a Resource Allocation Model (RAM) used by the Department of Education to optimize the distribution of available educator resources to public schools. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education adopted the PPM to distribute the total available posts to all public schools in an equitable, transparent and resource-efficient manner. The PPM is a formula-driven model that primarily allocates educators, as human capital, to public schools based on learner enrolment numbers. In addition to allocating teaching staff, the PPM allocates the School Management Team (SMT) to each school. The outcome of the PPM formula is called the Post-Provisioning Norm (PPN). The implementation of the PPM has presented various challenges in the management of public schools. The primary aims of this study were to investigate any possible weaknesses of the PPM and to critically evaluate and explore school managers’ views of the PPM in the management of public schools. For the purposes of this study a complex probability sampling procedure was used. The participants were chosen from the principals within KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education in iLembe District. A sample size of 217 principals participated in the survey, which was drawn from the population of 420 school principals. The literature review undertaken in chapter 2 and the field research conducted in chapter 4 revealed that there is a gap between the ideals of the PPM and its implementation. It was found that there was a poor understanding of the technical aspects of the PPM formula among principals of public schools. There is evidence of equitable quantitative distribution of posts through the PPM. However, it was discovered that the PPM does not take into account the distribution of qualified educators. Hence, some of the allocated posts in public schools were often filled by under-qualified or non-qualified staff. The appointment of qualified educators was skewed. Further findings of this study revealed, amongst others, the inability of the PPM to provide for and promote the needs of a diverse curriculum in rural areas, and the inability to factor in and balance for the variable that some public schools raise millions of rands in school fees, which enables the advantaged schools to employ additional educators. The primary recommendations of this study are that principals be trained, on an annual basis, on the workings of the PPM and that the South African schools Act No.84 of 1996 must be amended to grant authority to the Head of Department of the province to appoint and deploy qualified educators to public schools. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This report seeks ways to improve the management of the existing English Language Teaching Resource Centres (ELT-R/C) in Mozambique. Suggestions are made so as to define clearly the place of the ELT-R/C and their managers in the education system organizational structure; introduce other activities in the ELT-R/C; enlarge the number ofELT-R/C users and improve the communication system and consequently the relationships between the ELT-R/C and other education stakeholders. The report also suggests the optional number of staff for the ELT-R/C and what should be done for the Provincial English Advisors (PEA) to run the ELT-R/C more effectively and efficiently. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.