Kagiso Trust hosted the District Whole School Development (DWSD) Model Inter-District Advocacy Webinar on Monday, 26 June 2023. The webinar, “Embedding Change in the Education System in South Africa: From Planning to Action,” aimed to foster a discussion and evaluation of the DWSD model.
Mankodi Moitse, CEO of Kagiso Trust, highlighted the importance of education leadership and the need for adaptable strategies to transform the education system.
In a country faced with high challenges of poverty, inequality, unemployment, and a large population of learners relying on the public education system, education leadership and management is crucial to transforming South Africa. Education stakeholders and experts need to come together to share experiences, insights, learnings, and to explore innovative and adaptable strategies that can sustainably transform the education sector.
The DWSD model was designed over 10 years ago, focusing on several districts, starting in Thabo Mofutsanyana, then Motheo, and Sekhukhune. The model focused on implementing various elements in the education pipeline, including teacher education training, leadership development, curriculum support and infrastructure development, and has since yielded positive results, as evidenced by the improved performance in the Free State.
Mello Khobe, Deputy Chief Education Specialist in the office of the district director in Motheo, shared how the model’s Empowerment and Transformation Workshops (ETW) hav
e positively impacted their district. Prior to the workshops, the district faced the challenges of being known for disunity, disinterest, and a lack of innovative solutions.
“Through the workshops, a sense of team spirit, uniformity, and camaraderie was fostered, leading to improved learner behaviour and academic performance,” said Khobe.
Morakeng Moholo, Principal of Leratong Secondary School, provided insights into the impact of the ETW workshop at their school. The school, previously characterised by poor academics and planning, witnessed a remarkable transformation in discipline and academic performance. Moholo emphasised the value of the ETW in fixing behaviours, systems, and practices in schools and promoting unity among stakeholders.
Lindiwe Mabaso, District Director of Thabo Mofutsanyana, highlighted their turnaround strategy and the pillars that assisted in improving the school, namely the pillars: quality of daily activities, frequency of teaching and assessment, marking of activities, corrections, and monitoring and control. These pillars, coupled with Kagiso Trust’s support, have contributed to significant improvements in performance.
Papi Makola, Sekhukhune East District Director, outlined the significant challenges identified prior to interventions as well as the subsequent
improvements in management and positive results from their partnership with Kagiso Trust. The district has since experienced enhanced capacity building, an activity-based approach to implementation, and improved tracking of district plans.
“The webinar was a significant milestone in our efforts to transform education in South Africa,” said Moitse. “Together, we can help develop practical solutions to improve the quality of education to meet the needs of learners and our society.”
