Accounting Ambassador Program

Transcription

1 Accounting Ambassador Program Initiatives to improve the quality of Accounting teaching and learning KZN The private sector has come forward but we would like to see them playing a greater role. They need to see that their investment in education benefits the economy and their businesses because ultimately learners can play a productive role in society and economic development if they do well. This means having more skilled labor to choose from and a healthier economy, MEC Education: Honorable Peggy Nkonyeni

2 Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 2. WHY RISK AND REWARD 4 3. CHALLENGES FACED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Accounting challenges at school level Impact of Accounting challenges in society 6 4. THE ACCOUNTING AMBASSADOR PROGRAM Objectives of the Accounting ambassador program Accounting Ambassador Programme initiatives Teacher Enrichment Program Subject advisors Enrichment Program Accounting Saturday classes for Grade 12 learners Playing instead of learning Accounting: The Risk and Reward 12 round board game 9 The 12 round Accounting board game attributes 10 2

3 1. Executive Summary The KZN Department of Education s strategic thrust for 2015 is Operation Bounce Back which translates into an education improvement plan. This turnaround strategy emerged as a response to the poor performance in KZN's 2014 matric results. The Department of Education has realised that turning around the state of education in the province is something they will not be able to do alone. Partnering with private sector is one of the things that the department plans to do to improve results. In her 2015 budget speech, the Honorable MEC for Education Ms. Peggy Nkonyeni said of the support she has received from the private sector: Many academics and education specialists have demonstrated their goodwill by offering their services to help improve our overall education system in the province at no cost to the Department. One of these is the Ambassador Program by Risk and Reward which rests on a conceptual framework of partnerships between the Provincial Department of Education and professionals from the private sector, higher educational institutions and organs of civil society, and they have volunteered to champion the learning of the Accounting discipline. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has just concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Risk and Reward. The cornerstone of the MOU is that, as Accounting Ambassadors Risk and Reward will embark on Initiatives to improve the quality of Accounting teaching and learning at no cost to the Department of Education. Part of the mandate of Risk and Reward is to mobilize stakeholders and sponsors that have an interest in education to partner with us and render financial assistance to make this program a reality. When Risk and Reward volunteered our services to teach Accounting to both teachers and learners, the Department of Education identified 6 districts that had the most urgent need for an intervention in the Accounting discipline. These districts are; Umkhanyakude, Zululand, Uthungulu, Amajuba, Umzinyathi and ilembe. 3

4 2. Why Risk and Reward Risk and Reward is a company that specializes in academic and business solutions that are geared towards grooming all rounded academics and entrepreneurs. Our academic solutions include products designed for the purpose of getting both educators and students excited about Accounting and making the subject far less daunting and boring as it has previously been known to be. With our Learner Teacher Support Materials (LTSM), our aim is to: Be a learning assistant to pupils and teachers in the Accounting field; Lead in grooming future accountants; Develop products and services to make Accounting accessible to everyone; Offer educational support and development of learning tools for educational support. Our confidence in grooming future accountants comes from a proven track record of Risk and Reward successfully running programs turning around pass rates for the better. Our team has for years run similar initiatives as follows: The Adams College Saturday School Accounting Program In 2013, Adams College was adopted by the company and the Accounting pass rate was raised from 4 A s to 44 A s. Thabani Zulu, a Chartered Accountant who now works as a Product Developer at Risk and Reward, taught the children. The South African Black Workers Association Saturday and Winter School Program Stemming from the need to aid the children from disadvantaged backgrounds, The South African Black Workers Association (SABSWA) embarked on a strategy to turn around the success rate of black high school learners. Led by Professor Paulus Zulu a seasoned Researcher based at the former University of Natal who now is the Director of Academics at Risk and Reward, Saturday and Winter School programs were coined. Prof Zulu mobilized black professionals to give up their time to teach classes in Mathematics, English, Accounting, Science and Biology. The program ran throughout the 90 s and produced a number of well-known professionals today. Umkhanyakude District Accounting Improvement Program We have in 2015 already started working with Umkhanyakude District to offer the following CSI initiative: 4

5 o Teacher enrichment in the Accounting Subject, dedicating Saturdays to enrich the educators in the areas of their concern. o A practical exposure program for the educators where we will mobilize the private and state institutions for in-service training during quiet education periods. o Revision classes for the learners. Involvement with UKZN Council Thabani Zulu is a Council member at University of KwaZulu Natal. 3. Challenges faced by the Department of Education The KZN department of education faces a number of challenges some of them being: Poor resources Not enough capacity in teaching and support staff Inequalities between rural and urban schools Poor/dull teaching methods 3.1 Accounting challenges at school level The Accounting discipline has had the unfortunate luck of being grouped amongst the subjects that are impossible to master. Some of the challenges that this discipline faces are as follows: The subject is divorced from real life, and its teaching is usually lacking in practical experience; Accounting is already pre-empted to be difficult and boring; There is a shortage of Accounting teachers especially in rural schools; 5

6 Those teachers that are in the system often lack adequate knowledge of the subject 3.2 Impact of Accounting challenges in society Accounting as a life skill rather than just a subject. It is needed by everyone everyday to understand financial transactions ranging from budgeting to pricing. It is also sadly a skill that we as society seldom realize the importance of and the detrimental effects of the lack of. It is becoming evident that the government is pushing for self employment (entrepreneurship) in its citizens. It is documented that SMMEs are fast becoming the sector that employs the most people in our country. Sadly though, these businesses often fail regardless of their massive potential. There are several reasons that Risk and Reward believes businesses fail and one of the main ones is that the culture of entrepreneurship is simply being created too late. Entrepreneurs are not created at tertiary level; they are created in the formative years of a child s life. Nurturing accountants from a young age is becoming crucial. The impact of the lack of Accounting knowledge is fast reaching further than school. There is now a desperate scarcity in the Accounting profession and we are seeing a critically low number of Chartered Accountants from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. All these challenges need urgent interventions. 6

7 4. The Accounting Ambassador Program 4.1 Objectives of the Accounting ambassador program Risk and Reward has taken on the task of turning around the Accounting pass rate in the province. The objectives of the Accounting ambassador program are to: 1. Bridge Bridge the gap between the academic/theoretical subject discharge and the practical execution of it 2. Mobilise Mobilise counterparts in the private sector to give time, skills and resources to making the program a success 3. Relook Relook at the learning instruments for accounting 4. Revitalise Revitalise the teaching of accounting so that it is better absorbed by teachers and learners 5. Enrich Enrich accounting subject advisors 6. Enhance Enhance entrepreneurial and financial skills will contribute to job creation and ultimately economic growth 7. Encourage Encourage learners to think critically and to engage in real life issues that relate to accounting. 4.2 Accounting Ambassador Programme initiatives The cornerstone of the appointment is that, as Subject Ambassadors, Risk and Reward will embark on the following initiatives around the Accounting discipline: 7

8 Teacher continuous enhancement program Extra lessons for grade 12 Accounting learners Suject advisor continuous enhancement program Playing instead of learning Accounting Teacher Enrichment Program Accounting is an ever-changing landscape. Since teachers are often busy with preparation and marking, they naturally find little time to update themselves with the most recent Accounting practices. Risk and Reward will therefore run classes for teachers who wish to attend and update themselves. The initiative will: Target grade 12 Accounting educators. Take a form of Saturday lessons on Accounting sections that teachers find difficult Have facilitators per Saturday conducting the lessons spending 4 hours per Saturday The facilitators are drawn from our partners and are volunteering their time. Facilitator will be drawn from Accounting firms that have agreed to partner with Risk and Reward in this initiative The classes will run from May to September Subject advisors Enrichment Program Risk and Reward will also target Accounting subject advisors of all the 12 districts. This enhancement program will be made practical through: Workshops/classes targeting areas that subject advisors feel they need assistance in Practical training through the mobilization of the private sector (by Risk and Reward), where subject advisors are placed with firms for a period of time, gaining practical experience on the agreed upon sections of Accounting. The practical training will run over 10 days (during the June/July holidays) with subject advisors earning a stipend of R for the whole practical training duration 8

9 4.2.3 Accounting Saturday classes for Grade 12 learners Everything is leant better when it is practiced. Risk and Reward will run Accounting Saturday classes for learners in the districts that performed poorly in the 2014 matric results during the 2015-year. The initiative will then be escalated to the rest of the province in the subsequent years. For this initiative: Grade 12 learners will be targeted. The initiative will take a form of Saturday lessons Have 2 facilitators per Saturday conducting the lessons spending 4 hours per Saturday The facilitators is drawn from one of our partners and have volunteered their time. Facilitators will be drawn from Accounting firms that have agreed to partner with Risk and Reward in this initiative The classes will run from May to September Playing instead of learning Accounting: The Risk and Reward 12 round board game The Risk and Reward 12 Round board game designed by Risk and Reward s Chartered Accountants, is a learning tool that will be sure to assist both students and teachers deal with the subject of Accounting in a fun and interactive way inside as well as outside the classroom. The game deals with all things to do with Accounting from Tax to Accounting Equations. With relevant questions aligned to CAPS (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement), the students can play while they learn. The game is a learning tool that students will find complements their usual textbook material and turns it into real life scenarios that make the learning of Accounting more fun than just reading. The game forms the foundation and backbone of the initiatives as the official teaching instrument. We want to shatter the myth that says Accounting is not fun. Game Objectives Players will be playing the game in a very competitive environment. The objective is to survive and win. The decisions they take, the moves they make will decide on the fate of their business. Other businesses will be around to outsmart them. The aim is to make money, make a profit and improve the value of the business. Players will do this by improving revenue and limiting costs. The business with the best BALANCE SHEET wins the game! The balance sheet of the business will be measured by a simple accounting formula: 9

10 EQUITY = Assets less Liabilities. Except obviously to win, the aim of the game is to make players understand accounting better. START marks the end of the Month. At the end of the year, i.e. after 12 ROUNDS, players will need to close off their books and prepare the following: Statement of Financial Performance, Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Cash Flows, Statement of Changes in Net Asserts, and Director's Report. The 12 round Accounting board game attributes Developed by Chartered Accountants Creates learning in a fun way The 12 Round Accounting Game Aligned to CAPS Enhances numeracy and literacy skills Alternative Teaching Aid The game can be played by up to 9 learners per game Each board game costs R