Question No. 206
Ms FI Chohan (African National Congress) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether she has found that the five reform schools can be deemed sufficient to meet them need for such schools; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
There are four reform schools in the country. The four schools are:Eureka Youth Care Centre in Rawsonville, Western Cape; Ethokomala Youth Centre in Kinross, Mpumalanga; Gali Tembani Youth Centre in Queenstown, Eastern Cape; and Newcastle Youth Centre in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal.
The fifth reform school, Kraaifontein Youth Care Centre in Western Cape, was closed down in December 2008 due to a drastic decline in the number of learners at the school.
These schools offer educational as well as developmental and therapeutic programmes tothe learners in their care.
The educational programmes are structured to address the developmental needs oflearners in terms of age and learning needs. The following programmes are offered inthese schools:
- The National Curriculum Statement (grades 1 to 12)
- Bridging classes at Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) level one to four
- Technical Skills Programmes; and
- Life Skills programmes.
The developmental programmes are offered by child and youth care workers after school hours, whereas therapeutic programmes are offered by professional support staff (including psychologists).
It is therefore considered that the reform schools can be deemed sufficient for their purpose.
Source: Department of Education
