Western Cape Education Department
Encyclopedia
The Western Cape Education Department (abbreviated WCED) is the department of the Government of the Western Cape responsible for primary
and secondary
education
within the Western Cape
province of South Africa
. The political leader of the department is the Provincial Minister of Education; this is Donald Grant.
, and schools for white students were run by the Education Department of the Cape Provincial Administration. Schools for coloured
students were run by the House of Representatives Education Department, while schools for black
students were run by the Department of Education and Training
. Some integration of these schools had occurred during the last years of apartheid, but the administrations remained divided.
On 27 April 1994, the date of the 1994 general election
, the Interim Constitution of South Africa came into effect, abolishing the old provinces and establishing the nine new provinces
. The new Western Cape Education Department inherited those schools of the previous departments that were located within the Western Cape.
In the 2010/11 financial year the department had 40,181 employees and a budget of R
11,845,691,000. It is responsible for all primary and secondary education in the province, including the provision of government schools, Further Education and Training colleges and Adult Basic Education, and the oversight of independent school
s.
The Western Cape is divided into eight education districts; four are "rural" districts which correspond to one or more district municipalities
, while the other four are "urban" or "Metro" districts within the City of Cape Town
. The districts are:
The districts are responsible for the management of education, with policy and planning being handled by the head office. Each district is also divided into a number of "circuits", which provide advice, support, and specialised facilities to a smaller collection of schools.
The department also supervises the six Further Education
and Training
colleges in the province. These are:
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
within the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The political leader of the department is the Provincial Minister of Education; this is Donald Grant.
History
During the apartheid era, education in South Africa was segregated according to race, with different government departments administering schools for the different races. What is now the Western Cape was at that time part of the Cape ProvinceCape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
, and schools for white students were run by the Education Department of the Cape Provincial Administration. Schools for coloured
Coloured
In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers to an heterogenous ethnic group who possess ancestry from Europe, various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, India, Mozambique,...
students were run by the House of Representatives Education Department, while schools for black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
students were run by the Department of Education and Training
Bantu Education Department
The Bantu Education Department was a governmental department created by the Bantu Education Act for the education of blacks in South Africa by the National Party government during the apartheid years....
. Some integration of these schools had occurred during the last years of apartheid, but the administrations remained divided.
On 27 April 1994, the date of the 1994 general election
South African general election, 1994
The South African general election of 1994 was an election held in South Africa to mark the end of apartheid, therefore also the first held with universal adult suffrage. The election was conducted under the direction of the Independent Electoral Commission .Millions queued in lines over a three...
, the Interim Constitution of South Africa came into effect, abolishing the old provinces and establishing the nine new provinces
Provinces of South Africa
South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the constitution...
. The new Western Cape Education Department inherited those schools of the previous departments that were located within the Western Cape.
Structure
The administrative head of the department, subordinate to the Minister, is the Superintendent-General of Education (also known as the Head of Education); this is Penny Vinjevold.In the 2010/11 financial year the department had 40,181 employees and a budget of R
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
11,845,691,000. It is responsible for all primary and secondary education in the province, including the provision of government schools, Further Education and Training colleges and Adult Basic Education, and the oversight of independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
s.
The Western Cape is divided into eight education districts; four are "rural" districts which correspond to one or more district municipalities
District municipality (South Africa)
In South Africa, a district municipality or Category C municipality is a municipality which executes some of the functions of local government for a district. The district municipality will in turn comprise several local municipalities, with which it shares the functions of local government...
, while the other four are "urban" or "Metro" districts within the City of Cape Town
City of Cape Town
The City of Cape Town is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of 2007, it had a population of 3,497,097....
. The districts are:
- Metro Central
- Metro East
- Metro North
- Metro South
- Cape WinelandsCape Winelands District MunicipalityThe Cape Winelands District Municipality, formerly the Boland District Municipality, is a district municipality located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 712,413...
- EdenEden District MunicipalityThe Eden District Municipality is a district municipality located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Its municipality code is DC4.-Adjacent municipalities:* Central Karoo District Municipality...
& Central KarooCentral Karoo District MunicipalityThe Central Karoo District Municipality is a district municipality located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa... - OverbergOverberg District MunicipalityThe Overberg District Municipality is a district municipality located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its municipality code is DC3.- Adjacent municipalities :*Cape Winelands District Municipality *Eden District Municipality...
- West CoastWest Coast District MunicipalityThe West Coast District Municipality is a district municipality located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its municipality code is DC1. Moorreesburg is the seat of the district...
The districts are responsible for the management of education, with policy and planning being handled by the head office. Each district is also divided into a number of "circuits", which provide advice, support, and specialised facilities to a smaller collection of schools.
The department also supervises the six Further Education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
and Training
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
colleges in the province. These are:
- College of Cape Town
- False Bay CollegeFalse Bay CollegeFalse Bay College is located in Cape Town, South Africa.False Bay College forms part of the band of education known as further education and training . They offer FET courses from NQF levels 2 to 4. Eighty per cent of courses are in this band, and 20 per cent are on higher education and adult basic...
- Northlink College
- West Coast College
- Boland College
- South Cape College