The plight of orphans has come under the spotlight at an inter-departmental conference in Durban where various ways of supporting and caring for vulnerable children were discussed.
Delegates gathered at the SA National Conference on Orphans, Children and Youth made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS to outline the various programmes to provide care and support orphans.
The conference, held at the Durban International Convention Centre from 27-30 May 2013, was organised by the Department of Social Development. The conference was an opportunity for government departments, non profit organisations and other stakeholders to gather and reflect back on progress made, identify areas of weakness and to strengthen efforts to respond to the plight of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) was represented in the conference to give a perspective mainly on the plight of learners with no parents.
Dr Faith Kumalo, Chief Director: Care and Support in Schools at the DBE made a presentation to the plenary session on Managing Vulnerability Within the context of Education. The presentation highlighted the work being done by the DBE to remove barriers to learning for these vulnerable children.
A vulnerable child is defined as child whose survival, care, protection or development may be compromised due to a particular condition, situation or circumstance that prevents the fulfilment of his and her rights.
The DBE has a wide policy mandate to achieve various international and regional commitments to provide care and support for vulnerable children. These include Goals 1-3 and 6 of the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All goals of equal access to education and gender parity in education.
The DBE’s own strategic vision, Action Plan to 2014, also recognises that education is a societal issue as schools are microcosms of communities and the health and social issues of a particular community will reflect in its schools.
“The department is in the unique position where it services almost 12 million children in the country. Thus we are in a position to provide support and guidance to the vulnerable amongst these learners and we have programmes in place to assist them. However, it is all of our business to create an environment where our young people can achieve their full potential. Working together is key. We must ensure that the primary right to education is met,” Dr Kumalo said.
Efforts by the department to support vulnerable learners have borne fruit, but there is still much to be done.
School attendance among 7-15 year old orphans and non-orphans comparable (over 98%) 2 000 675 children in schools had lost a parent (Annual National School Survey, DBE, 2011); 8,8 million learners receive a free school lunch daily
Over 60% of schools are no-fee schools.
School attendance comparable between boys and girls
“However, challenges remain. Twenty-two percent of children with a disability are out of school and when learners reach the compulsory schooling age of 15 years old, we notice a marked increase in the school dropout rate. We have also seen that the longer children stay in the school the greater benefit this has for there reproductive sexual lifestyles,” said Dr Kumalo.
Through the Care and Support for Learning and Teaching Programme, the DBE is aiming to remove the barriers to education which many of the most vulnerable of learners are faced with.
CSTL is a comprehensive, coordinated multi-sectoral response to address barriers to teaching and learning which provides an overarching framework for existing programmes. The programme promotes mainstreaming based on a strong policy mandate and strengthens coordination, management and governance structures in education.
