Ten captains of industry teach schools a lesson

Prakash Desai - Group CEO Avusa Limited, one of the Top Ten.

Principals and heads of departments are drawn from the ranks of teachers and do not have the benefit of accountants, MBAs, human resource managers and other specialists to turn to. As a rule, they don't have access to the latest management methods and specialist courses. With upward of maybe a thousand pupils and teachers to manage and meagre budgets, they must nevertheless do much the same job as our leaders of industry.

Top Class is an educational series with one big foot planted firmly in the reality genre. It is endorsed by the national Department of Education and will broadcast on SABC Education's Learning Channel every Wednesday at 11h00 from 13th February on SABC 1. The program seeks to make a difference to how schools in South Africa are managed.

Ten top CEO's were enlisted and each was paired with 10 poorly performing schools across South Africa, identified by the Department of Education. Some of the challenges facing schools were safety and security, motivation of teachers and learners, absenteeism, raising finance, teenage pregnancy and discipline.

Dr. Martin Prew, Director: Education Management and Governance Development for the Department of Education said of the program, ‘Utilising the country's top CEO's in identifying critical challenges facing schools and assisting the school's management team in resolving those challenges Top Class will entertain the general public and build the management skills of all educators viewing those episodes.'

In each episode the Top Class team and a different celebrity CEO visit one of these schools to meet with its learners and educators, grapple with the issues they are experiencing and work with the Principal and the Chairperson of the Governing Body to come up with a simple plan aimed at creating effective short-term and long-term solutions to improve the running of the school.

The 10 CEO's are Prakash Desai – Group CEO Avusa Limited , Zeona Motshabi - CCO Cell C, Suzanne Ackerman-Berman Transformation Director Pick ‘n Pay , Daniel Jordaan –CEO 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Yvonne Johnston - Chief Executive International Marketing Council of SA, Tina Eboka – Director: Corporate Affairs Standard Bank, Zola Yeye – Regional GM: EC, Audrey Mothupi - Liberty Life, Martin Feinstein – Enablis and GG Alcock – MD of Minanawe Marketing.

“Schools are not only places of learning but they are also incubators of future leaders of our country and industry. Our participation in Top Class can only enhance the skills necessary in the creation of an environment that is conducive to world-class quality of learning; and as Avusa we view our support of education as an integral part of being responsible corporate citizens, it is our duty”, says Prakash Desai, Group CEO of Avusa.

The crew revisits each school five weeks later to assess the progress that has been made. A second visit one year later will gauge how successful it has been at implementing the agreed long-term improvements. To broaden the access to problem-solving strategies for other schools facing similar challenges, a 10-week Internet course at http://www.learn.co.za.This consists of weekly worksheets that address each issue broadcast in the program. If educators complete 7 of the 10 satisfactorily and fax them to The Learning Channel, they will receive a certificate of completion.

Top Class is all about introducing fresh faces, exciting new ideas, insightful business brains and well-honed management and people skills to benefit our schools in crisis.

Naledi Pandor, Minister of Education, Budget Vote 2007/08 stated, ‘I urge South Africans to affirm excellence [in education] and reject mediocrity in the interest of nation building, socio-economic development and true liberation. The levels of under-performance in our education system are unacceptably high and an unjust subversion of the historic promise of freedom and democracy that we've put before our people.' Top Class contributes positively to this goal. It's real, in-your-face television – television that will make a difference!