Department of Education Extranet

 State of Readiness for the 2022 School Academic Year

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR THE 2022 SCHOOL ACADEMIC YEAR

The Northern Cape Department of Education is ready for the 2022 school academic year. All indicators are pointing out that our schools are ready to welcome our learners on the 19th of January 2022.

The Department has made significant strides to improve the Online Admission System to ensure that learners are placed at schools timeously ahead of the start of the new academic year. A total of 22 585 applications were received for Grade R, 1 and 8 for the 2022 school academic year. To date, all these learners have been placed, however 1 214 appeals were received, where parents indicated that they seek alternative placement. Only 57 appeals were deemed substantive, during which the placement criteria were met for the school applied to. The school placements of learners whose parents have not  applied timeously remains the biggest challenge, as it creates delays in terms of the placement of these learners. The Department established District Admissions Operation Centres to deal with all admission challenges and queries. The Department is finalising outstanding appeals before schools commence on the 19th of January 2022.

The Department's Textbook Procurement Model is utilised by 545 schools to place top-up textbook orders. 309 schools opted to make use of the centralised procurement model whilst 236 schools procured their Learning and Teaching Support Material directly from the suppliers. To date, the delivery stands at 96% and will be completed during the course of this week.

The Department issued approved staff establishments to all public ordinary schools in November 2021. We concluded the appointment of 1 686 temporary educators for the 2022 school academic year. In addition to this, 170 Principals, Deputy Principals and Departmental Heads,  as well 380 educators (previously on contract) were appointed from the 1st of January 2022. These new school managers are currently being inducted into their new responsibilities.

All 430 learner transport routes are operational, whilst the current service providers operate on a month-to-month contract. The learner transport tender is being finalised and will be awarded for implementation on the 1st of April 2022.

No changes have been made to the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Prevention, Containment and Management of COVID-19 in schools, given that no additional regulations were issued by DBE. School Principals and School Governing Bodies (SGBs) are responsible to ensure that these SOPs are implemented. Only schools that can comply with all the COVID-19 regulations will be allowed to return to the normal timetable, whilst the remaining schools will continue on the differentiated timetable model. A review of the SOP's will be considered as soon as schools have settled after re-opening. 

It is with dismay that the Department also recorded 39 incidents of vandalism and theft at various schools during the festive season. We condemn these incidents in the strongest terms and appeal to all school communities to work with the SAPS to ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and face the full might of the law. Our Infrastucture Unit is busy conducting an assessment of damage caused in order to do the reparation work. Schools are beacons of hope in our communities, and we urge school communities  to guard and defend our institutions of learning against any form of vandalism or theft, for the sake of our children's future.

Members of the Executive Council, Members of the Provincial Legislature, Members of Parliament and Senior Managers of the Department will visit schools to conduct oversight monitoring to check readiness when schools reopen on the 19th of January 2022. 

In conclusion we wish all our schools a productive and inspirational year of learning and teaching. We urge all leaders and role players in the sector to join hands and support the education journey of 2022.

END.