Delivering her budget speech on Tuesday, basic education minister Angie Motshekga allocated R105.1 million to Dinaledi schools - a R5.4 million increase from the previous year.
David Silman, director of the Dinaledi Unit, says although the allocated funds are only a drop in the bucket of the overall 2013/14 Department of Basic Education budget of R17.592 billion, the return on the funding has potential to be exceptional. "The results of this programme can make a huge difference, with focused attention on the specific outputs."
The Dinaledi programme is aimed at significantly improving performance and increasing participation in mathematics, life sciences and physical sciences in schools. There are currently 500 Dinaledi schools in the country, catering for approximately 50 000 learners. A dedicated Dinaledi Unit was created in August 2012, to work with provincial education departments.
According to Silman, each of the provinces submits business plans on how the money should be spent, which are then recommended to National Treasury. The allocated funds are spent on eight outputs, including computer hardware and software, laboratory apparatus, study guides, etc.
The money is paid out to the provinces in four quarterly payments and can be withheld if departments do not comply with the specifications of the business plans.
Programme results
According to Silman, the maths and science marks from Dinaledi schools in 2012 were approximately 8% higher than the national average. National matric mathematics pass rates in 2012 were 54%, up from 46.3% the previous year, with physical science rising to 61.3%, from 53.4%, in 2011. "The Dinaledi programme's success can and should be replicated in other schools."
Although a specific number has not been set as a target for 2013, Silman hopes to see an annual compound increase of 5% in both participation and passes. "Pass quality is obviously also important and not just the number of passes." Furthermore, he would like to see an increase in the number of girls taking and passing maths and science.
"The Dinaledi programme is the best route to establish a successful model for maths and science teaching for the rest of the high schools in the country."
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