Question No. 707
Mr MM Swathe (Democratic Alliance) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether her department intends taking any action with regard to deteriorating schools in rural areas; if not, why not, if so, what are the relevant details?
Draft response
In the 2009/10 Basic Education budget speech I have identified rural schools as a key area of focus for my department. I indicated that my department will be partnering with the Ministry of Rural Development, as well as with other relevant ministries such as Public Works, Water Affairs and Transport to alleviate the conditions at rural schools.
In that regard the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) established a cluster on rural development, infrastructure and budgetary aspects at the CEM meeting of 27 June 2009. The cluster has been tasked to develop an integrated national implementation strategy for the advancement of quality education and promotion of access to education at rural and farm schools. The implementation strategy will be based on the key focus areas of the framework.
My department is also working with provincial Education Departments to develop a national framework for quality education in rural areas. The overall aim of the framework is to improve the quality of education and identifies the following key focus areas for action:
* Improving the quality of teaching and learning in rural and farm schools
* Attracting and retaining learners and educators at rural and farm schools
* Improving infrastructure at rural and farm schools.
* Building effective school governance and the management of rural and farm schools.
* Promoting advocacy and sustainable partnerships to implement programmes directed at broader rural development and community participation in rural and farm schools.
Issued by: Department of Basic Education
12 March 2010
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za/)
