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School Evaluation and Development

Jonathan Jansen appointed chair of Ministerial Committee on School Evaluation

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:38

The appointment of Jonathan Jansen, formerly Dean of Education at the University of Pretoria, to chair a ministerial committee on school evaluation was gazetted.

The central task of the Ministerial Committee on School Evaluation and Development is to recommend to the minister of education mechanisms through which the independent evaluation and development of schools (including teachers) can be undertaken.

Early this year, cabinet approved the establishment of a unit for purposes of monitoring, evaluation and support.

The proposed unit is expected to serve as an "arms length" authority external to the Department of Education (DoE) but accountable to the minister of education.

The ministerial committee will submit its final report to the minister of education on or before 5 January 2009.

The committee will consist of the following members:

Dr R Cassius Lubisi, Superintendent-General of the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department; Dr Jonathan Jansen, National Research Foundation; Ms Sue Mόller, Senior Executive Officer at National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA); Dr Peliwe Lolwana, formerly CEO of Umalusi; Ms Amanda Sanger, Education Department Manager at the District Six Museum; Ms Francine De Clercq, Wits School of Educations; Professor Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor of Education, Stanford University; Dr Peter Matthews, visiting professor at the Institute of Education, University of London

Notes for editors

The terms of reference for the Ministerial Committee are:

* Review all existing policies, mechanisms, structures, processes and tools within the South African Education system that evaluate and develop schools and teachers.

* Review the international literature on similar school evaluation and development units in other countries.

* Make recommendations on the structure, composition, location, functions, governance, name, cost and financing of a unit external to the Department of Education but accountable to the minister, which will have the overall task of school evaluation and development.

* Advise on the future relationship between the proposed unit and the current policies and mechanisms aimed at improvement of quality of learning and teaching and school (including teacher and learner) evaluation and development.