26 Jun 2013

Education and Training Strategic Sector Plan (ETSSP) is expected to address challenges from the education ministry's strategic plan.

 Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Ms Grace Muzila told the Central District Council (CDC) on June 24 that the strategic plan did not bring all important stakeholders on board, adding that it was not holistic, not systematic and did not prioritise projects.

She explained that the development of ETSSP in partnership with European Union would address challenges that were left out by the current plan. Currently, she said, they concluded the situational analysis and they were carrying out the next step, which involved consultation with the relevant stakeholders about situational analysis findings.

Ms Muzila said to carry out this stage, they established pre and primary, secondary, tertiary, technical and vocational education, teacher training sub sectors. She said thematic areas for this strategy were educational management information system, human resource and staffing, finance management and budgeting and curriculum development.

She stated that the ETSSP report would be ready by July next year. While the development of the ETSSP was ongoing, she noted they that would continue to implement appropriate interventions to improve their sector.

Interventions such as the introduction of top archives, approval of inclusive education, launching of parent teachers association and national education mentors, introduction of standard one orientation and piloting of preschool were some of the efforts meant to improve teaching and learning.

She highlighted that it was important to go an extra mile to give special education to those who needed it, adding that the ministry had acquired the necessary recourses for such education.

She said eight students who needed special education were enrolled in Marobela brigade while 13 were sent to South Africa. Ms Muzila said they had plans to convert some of brigades to be special education schools to accommodate more people who needed that kind education. ENDS