In order to support and improve the quality of education in schools (Grades 10 to 12) and FET colleges, the Department provided key support in the

development of Grade 12 assessment tasks for all 16 subjects with a practical component for 2010. These were translated into Afrikaans and sent to

provinces for distribution to schools. Additional copies of preliminary examination question papers were sought from provinces and were uploaded onto

the Thutong website. 8 000 Teacher Guides for Grade 12 Life Orientation were printed and distributed to schools. The National catalogue was upgraded

to include textbooks screened in Life Sciences, technical subjects and Arts. The report on Subject Advisor training was completed and the report finalised.

NCS policy documents on the amendments of regulations were gazetted, and the audit of Technical High Schools by KPMG was completed.

What do we think leadership actually is?

At one level a leader is the person who not only influences what happens but is able to make things happen by initiating changes, organising how change happens and making all the necessary structures, decisions and activities meaningful. But, accepting this view of leadership shouldn’t mean that we manipulate colleagues and change their behaviour to fit our prearranged norm. It does mean that to be an effective leader we need to be able to give colleagues a sense of understanding of what they are actually doing in the school.

In trying to clarify leadership in simple terms – it is useful to summarise some of the common traits that characterise effective leaders.

This kind of summary can be divided into specific areas and include how leadership has to be concerned with:

• a sense of responsibility

• the need to complete tasks

• being willing and able to take risks

• having the capacity to handle stress

• being able to influence and coordinate the efforts of colleagues.

Jongisile Mbedu

Jongisile Mbedu

Evaluating the Efficacy of School Based Financial Education Programs

Surveys on financial knowledge and behavior have revealed that individuals in both developed and developing countries around the world lack adequate knowledge to make informed financial decisions. Empirical evidence demonstrating correlations between financial literacy and various measures of well-being has directed service providers, donors, and policymakers to include financial training and business education programs as part of broader anti-poverty strategies. Financial education, especially when provided in the early stages of life, has the potential to create long-lasting impacts. Intuitively, financial education provides useful tools to people of all ages, yet empirical evidence for this impact is thin and often mixed. This project tests two financial education curricula for primary school students. Specifically, it measures the impact of financial education on student behavior attitudes, and outcomes.