The DA plans to turn around the “failing education system” by placing greater focus on the first three years of schooling in its first term in office should be it be voted into power.
This is according to the party's plan to “triple the number of grade 4 learners who can read for meaning”, which is contained in its election manifesto unveiled in Pretoria on Saturday.
To turn things around, the DA plans to ensure that each child gets a full 210 teaching days a year by implementing a “time-on-task” philosophy, measuring the amount of time spent involved in the learning process and acquiring knowledge.
The DA, other parties and education experts have consistently criticised the ANC-led government about the number of pupils who cannot read or write for meaning even after several years of schooling.
The DA plans to combat this by devoting the first two hours of each school day in the foundation phase to developing reading and writing skills, with an hour each day devoted to numeracy.
“Improving time management in education could leverage a significant improvement in learning outcomes, given the amount of time wastage across the system. Time management is integral to a culture of excellence,” the manifesto says.
“The DA will further enhance education outcomes promoting science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education by early identification of learners with a strong aptitude for these subjects and accommodating them in specialist schools devoted to developing these skills.”
The student loan book of NSFAS, representing funds which did not require repayment, in 2021 amounted to R41bn.
— DA
The party plans to increase the number of grade 4 pupils who can read for meaning from 19% to 60% in its first five years in government.
The opposition party has vowed to defend the constitutional right to mother-tongue education where parent communities opt for it, and enhance access to basic education for learners with disabilities.
After their initial training, the DA has promised to test teachers' competence before they formally enter the profession, and then perform similar tests in schools with poor learning outcomes and take remedial action.
The party attributed the governance failures in schools to the meddling of teacher unions, accusing them of undermining performance and accountability measures. The DA has also committed to “ending trade union control of teacher appointments and introducing strict meritocracy in the interest of learners”.
“Failures in governance can be traced back to the influence of [South African Democratic Teachers Union] Sadtu in capturing the education system. Efforts to implement mechanisms for accountability to enhance the quality of education have faced strong trade union opposition.”
To tackle the troubled higher-education sector, the DA says it will reform the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) into a tiered system of bursaries and loans. It says the “current fee-free higher education model is unsustainable” because students “are not required pay any funds back”.
In terms of the DA manifesto, only students with an annual household income of up to R180,000 will be fully funded.
Those from households with an annual household income of R180,001-R350,000 will receive 66% of the full cost of study. The R350,000-R600,000 band will get 33% of their cost of study covered.
“The funding model of the DA aims to bring a cash injection into NSFAS, ensuring its long-term sustainability and enabling the rotational support of new students. To highlight the financial impact of the existing model, in 2021 the student loan book of NSFAS, representing funds which did not require repayment, amounted to R41bn.”
“We will ensure funds come back by establishing a debt-collection system in collaboration with Sars, the credit bureaus and potential employers. Students will pay back a portion of the cost of their studies based on their ability to pay, with flexible repayment conditions.”
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