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R75 million Imbewu Eastern Cape educational transformation project celebrations
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Education

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MEDIA RELEASE
 FOR IMMEDIATE USE
 DATE : 6 DECEMBER 2000

R75 MILLION IMBEWU EASTERN CAPE EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT CELEBRATIONS

On Thursday 7 December, 2000, 500 stakeholders of the three-year educational transformation Imbewu Project gathered at the Good News 
Center, King Williams Town to celebrate the success of the Project.

Present at this occasion was Ms Barbara Payne, Senior Education Adviser of the British Department for International Development (DFID) 
which funded the project with a grant of 7 million from 1997-2000. Ms Payne stated that Imbewu had touched people and places in 
extraordinary ways.

Payne said: The first phase of transformation of education in the Eastern Cape will bring new hope and opportunity to all.DFID looks 
forward to a continuing partnership with the Eastern Cape over the next seven years, which will spread the Imbewu experience across the 
Province and ensure that the seed bears rich and varied fruit.

Also attended the Imbewu celebration were Eastern Cape Education MEC, Stone Sizani, as well as other senior government officials and 
representatives of more than 50 stakeholder groups involved in the Project.

The Imbewu Projects aim has been to develop all levels of the education system to establish, nurture and support development initiatives 
in strong, vibrant educational communities. Imbewu, the Xhosa word for seeds, was chosen to indicate the intention of the Project to 
plant the seeds of education transformation and renewal. It is believed that the education structure of the Eastern Cape holds all the 
potential for education to blossom into a flourishing model of educational service delivery.

The Project has operated through 2,700 change agents in 523 primary schools in 28 districts of the most severely disadvantaged rural areas 
of the Province. The network of Imbewu participants has spread to include one million rural family members; 180,000 learners; 6,000 
educators; 1,500 School Governing Body members; 500 Department of Education staff; district and regional coordinators; 300 trainers and 
mentors and many hundreds of providers, consultants and advisors.

The five key outputs of the Project have been:

* Transformation of the Department of Education through capacity building in policy development, planning and implementation, monitoring, 
evaluation and management
* Improved management capacity and performance of primary school principals
* Improved quality teaching and learning in 523 primary schools
* Improved quality and availability of appropriate teaching and learning books and materials for 523 primary schools
* Enhanced community involvement in primary education

The success of the above key outputs will be celebrated in Imbewu style in a collection of stories and images of educational transformation 
gathered from the many involved in the project.

The symbolic handing over of five trees representing the five key outputs indicate the continued guardianship of the Project by the 
Department of Education and every individual who has participated in the project. Early in the new year, a symbolic tree will also be 
planted at each of the 523 participating schools.

The theme for celebratory event was Ndiyimbewu  I am the seed!

The Department of Education and the British Department for International Development (DFID) are currently planning on how to continue the 
work of improving educational capacity. It is anticipated that a seven-year joint programme funded by a new grant of 20 million will start 
in 2001 and contribute to

* a Provincial Department of Education with an enhanced strategic role
* a fully functioning and self-managing district structure, providing quality support to schools
* schools having undergone a whole school effectiveness process, better able to provide improved learning opportunities for their learners
* improved asset management and lower cost school buildings
* communities sufficiently motivated to become critically engaged with education decision maker

The Department of Education is fully committed to building upon the successful Imbewu Educational Transformation model.

Issued:  Department of Education
 Inquiries:Papama Mfenyana 0827730265

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