Dinaledi doesn't make the grade

Despite releasing 2009 matric results, more than three months ago in early January, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has failed to release results for its Dinaledi schools.

While a detailed report on the performance of the Dinaledi schools was expected in February, spokesman for the DBE, Granville Whittle, told ITWeb at the time that results were being collated and would be released on 15 January - a week after national results were published. However, this did not materialise.

Now, the department has failed to comment on the status of the results at this stage, or to give any indication of when they can be expected.

Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow minister of basic education Juanita Kloppers-Lourens confirmed the DA has also not yet received 2009 results for the Dinaledi schools.

At the national assembly, on 15 February, in his speech during the debate on the president's state of nation address, deputy minister of basic education Enver Surty gave a few details of the Dinaledi schools' results.

“In 2009, 52 779 learners passed mathematics at 50% and above. Out of this amount, 12 213 - that is 23.7% learners - came from Dinaledi schools.”

“We congratulate Mbilwi Secondary School, in Limpopo, who is one of our Dinaledi schools, which managed to obtain a 99% pass rate in both mathematics and physical science in 2009.”

DA shadow minister of science and technology Marian Shinn says other than these results, the DA has heard nothing else regarding the Dinaledi schools.

It is believed the reason for the results no-show is poor results, since the national matric pass rate stands at 60.7%, a 2% decrease from the 62.5% pass rate achieved in 2008. Overall, pass rates in science, maths, mathematical literacy and accounting dropped.

“I have no idea why they [Department of Basic Education] haven't been more open about Dinaledi results. The indication is that if they were good they would've bragged about them, so silence prompts me to suspect they were not up to expectations,” says Shinn.

Education specialist with the Development Bank of Southern Africa Graeme Bloch says it is essential to know if the schools are doing better or worse.

“In theory, if you increase focus on and resources for certain schools, they should be performing better and, if they're not, we need to know what the problem is. If achievement is not happening, why is it not happening? We need the results for this.”

Bloch questions the delayed release of the results, even if it's because the results were poorer than expected and did not meet the targets set.

“Dinaledi is an experiment, so the department shouldn't be so sensitive about the results.”

“I asked the question regarding Sentech earlier this year and got a very dismissive reply. I gather from this that there is not much urgency or enthusiasm to resolve the issue,” says Shinn.

She refers to the task given to Sentech of connecting the Dinaledi schools to its National Wholesale Broadband Network (NWBN), to provide connectivity to the schools. Sentech was allocated R500 million by National Treasury for this project. This was subject to the approval of a plan by both Department of Communications (DOC) and National Treasury, and included additional funding to be raised from the market.

A parliamentary reply to Shinn's question to the minister of communications shows the department confirms that the R500 million was not dispersed by treasury, for the network that was promised in 2007. This is because the funding models were not approved.

“It was overly ambitious of the government to announce the NWBN before the funding model was secured. Thousands of young maths and science learners, eager to be part of a nationwide learning network, have had their hopes dashed. They have learned at an early age that the ANC government is big on grandiose plans that create expectations and then disappoints on delivery,” says Shinn.

Earlier this year, the DOC said it was collating and analysing the results of the audit on the connectivity of the Dinaledi schools, which was recently conducted by the DBE.

“The departments of communications and education will use the findings of the audit to enter into discussion with various network operators, other than Sentech, to assist the department in facilitating connectivity to the un-connected schools.”

Shinn says no decision has yet been taken regarding Sentech, but she suggests the state entity should step aside.

“The broadband network supplier must be chosen in a competitive and transparent manner. Sentech has had the monopoly on this solution for the past three years. They must now step aside for more energetic and innovative network providers.”

While the Department of Education has said it will continue with its troubled Dinaledi schools project, analysts believe the project has failed.

Education analyst Salim Akoojee says government's push to increase ICT access is important, but the project has not proved sustainable and has been troubled by management issues.

“I definitely believe the schools idea needs to be reviewed. I definitely believe Sentech cannot offer an affordable solution so must step out the way for those who can,” adds Shinn.

“It doesn't answer the question of whether the project is a valuable one or is worth keeping around, but I think the Dinaledi project has helped performances even if it has not met targets,” says Bloch. “My sense is that Dinaledi is a positive project, but bureaucratic issues should not prevent the release of results.”

The Dinaledi schools form part of an education department initiative to improve the maths and science pass rates in the country. The department was tasked with producing over 50 000 passes on higher grade in 2009 nationally, and ultimately increase the number of students entering the engineering and ICT fields.

While learners in the 500 Dinaledi schools accounted for over 50 000 of matriculants writing maths and science exams in 2008, pass rates have been disappointing.

Despite previously threatening to remove underperforming schools from the programme, the department said it would focus on improving resources, and no schools would be added - or culled - from the list of 500 Dinaledi schools.