questions in the National Assembly
5 September 2007
"There is in fact, no stipulation of up to two years suspension for
learners, who fall pregnant in the measures," the Minister of Education said,
answering oral questions in the National Assembly today. Rather the measures
state the following:
"No pre-determined period is specified for this purpose, since it will
depend entirely on the circumstances of each case. However, it is the view of
the Department of Education that learners as parents should exercise full
responsibility for parenting and that a period of up to two years may be
necessary for this purpose. No learner should be re-admitted in the same year
that she left school due to a pregnancy. Learners may request or be required to
take leave of absence from school, so as to address pre-and post-natal health
concerns, as well as to care for the newborn baby."
The Minister answered ten questions. They dealt with schooling in Khutsong;
mud schools in the Eastern Cape, transport for the disabled, schoolgirl
pregnancy, the school-recovery plan, refugee children and the National
Education Evaluation Unit.
Question 258
Mr M Johnson (ANC) to ask the Minister of Education:
1. How many mud structures are being used as schools in the Eastern
Cape?
2. Whether her department will meet the deadline set by the President to
eradicate such structures and replace them with proper school buildings; if
not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply
1. According to our National Education Infrastructure Management System
(NEIMS), recently completed, there are 206 Eastern Cape schools with
inappropriate infrastructure. It is likely that there are other schools built
of mud but which are well maintained and therefore not classified as
inappropriate infrastructure on the NEIMS database.
2. There is no deadline set by the President in this regard. However, the
Eastern Cape Education Department has a "Prioritisation of schools for ten year
infrastructural development plan." According to this plan, 50% of the mud
schools will be rebuilt between 2007 and 2009. I will provide the honourable
Member with a copy of this plan.
Question 259
Mr RPZ van den Heever (ANC) to ask the Minister of Education:
What progress has been made to enable learners to catch up with lost
learning as a result of the recent national strike?
Reply:
Due to the fact that there were different levels of disruption in the
provinces, the provincial education departments have developed plans that
respond to their specific needs. Some provinces lost up to three weeks of
teaching, while others lost no more than a day or two. In some provinces,
teaching time was not disrupted at all, but mid-year tests and exams had to be
postponed.
The recovery plans have been more successful in some provinces than in
others. Our part in the recovery plan has been the provision and large-scale
distribution of learning materials.
During the past two months radio adverts, learning-material distribution via
newspapers and lessons on SABC Learning Channel have contributed to our overall
strategy. In total to 93,8 million copies of these materials will have been
distributed by the end of October 2007.
In addition, the department has purchased over four million workbooks for
English and Mathematics. They have been sent to 89 distribution points, from
where they will be delivered to schools.
Question 260
Mr B Mthembu (ANC) to ask the Minister of Education:
What progress has been made with the institution of a national monitoring
unit for monitoring the performance of educators in school?
Reply:
The department is currently finalising proposals for the establishment of a
National Education Evaluation Unit and it is anticipated that it will be up and
running in early 2008.
Question 263
Mrs HI Bogopane-Zulu (ANC) to ask the Minister of Education:
What is her department doing to address the challenges faced by children
with special needs, for example teachers who cannot read and write Braille
teaching blind children or those who cannot sign teaching deaf children?
Reply:
There have been several initiatives at national and provincial level for
teachers of learners with low vision and complete vision loss, as well as
teachers for deaf and partially hearing learners. The Department of Education
co-ordinated three week-long workshops in April and May 2007 for educators in
this sector, involving consultants from the Stockholm Institute of Education
and the participation of South African Stakeholders, namely the South African
National Council for the Blind, BlindSA, the Deaf Federation of South Africa
(DEAFSA) and Sign Language Education and Development (SLED).
The workshops dealt with issues relating to blindness and low vision as well
as to deafness and partial hearing. The Department of Education is currently
buying assistive devices for learners who have special educational needs. While
the national Department of Education has plans to continue training for
educators in February and March 2008, provincial departments of education have
begun training in these areas. They are also training educators in the use of
South African sign language.
The focus this year is on the 135 special schools most in need of upgrading
and improvement of their physical plant, material resources and assistive
devices, transport, admission and curriculum delivery. This focus will ensure
that adequate support is provided to large numbers of learners in the
short-term. The Department of Education is currently developing a long-term
strategy for ensuring that all learners with special education needs are
supported adequately whether in mainstream, full service or special
schools.
Question 273
Mr GG Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Education:
Whether, with regard to the various problems with the management of the
school feeding schemes around the country that the Auditor-General identified
in his reports on provincial education departments for 2005/06, she has
introduced any measures to improve (a) accountability for and (b) performance
of the school feeding scheme in the provinces, if not, why not, if so, what
measures?
Whether she intends extending the feeding scheme to include school holidays;
if not, why not; if so, when will this be done?
Reply
In terms of agreed policy, for 2007/08 the National School Nutrition Scheme
provides school meals on school days for about six million learners at 18 000
schools at a cost of just over R1 billion. My department works closely with
provinces in the implementation of this important programme. Various measures
have been taken to improve accountability; these include internal audits and
regular reporting. Irregularities and shortfalls are identified and solutions
are developed at scheduled inter-provincial meetings.
At the second 2007 quarterly meeting between the national and provincial
programme managers, performance indicators, financial reporting and business
plan templates were reviewed and finalised and letters were written to
provinces to correct irregularities. I have been asked to extend the scheme to
all school days and to provide meals to secondary schools. No plans have been
made to provide meals during school holidays.
Question 274
Mr GG Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Education:
1. (a) At which schools in Khutsong has teaching been interrupted by protest
action in the area and (b) how many learners are registered at each of these
schools
2. whether any action has been taken against any educators for inciting
educators or learners to boycott lessons or for intimidating other learners or
educators; if not, what is the position in this regard ; if so, (a) what action
and (b) against which educators and /or learners?
Reply:
1. All schools in Khutsong were at one point or another, affected by the
unrest at Khutsong. I attach a table to my written answer.
2. Four educators have been identified as alleged intimidators. Disciplinary
proceedings have been taken against Mr Bapupi, Principal and Mr IM Mogale, of
Badirile High Mr Bapupi was found guilty and fined one-month's salary, to be
deducted over three months. Mr Mogale was dismissed on 21 August 2007. Mr TJ
Mathikge and Mr MW Dithipe were suspended and disciplinary proceedings are
under way. No action has been taken against any learner or learners for
intimidation or incitement in Khutsong.
Question 290
Mr RS Ntuli to ask the Minister of Education:
What are the details of the plan being implemented to ensure that learners,
especially Grade 12s, in Khutsong are afforded the opportunity to study for
matric examinations and (b) what progress has been made in implementing that
thus far?
Reply
The plan was to move all Khutsong matric learners to an intensive-tuition
centre in the province where they would live, learn and study until the
completion of their exams at the end of November 2007. On 12 August 2007, 441
matric learners moved from their homes in Khutsong to the Vuselela Further
Education and Training (FET) College in Taung. The plan has been put into
practice and it is reported that learners are benefiting from the tuition
provided by subject specialists drawn from the North West Education Department.
Matric learners who chose to remain behind will write the matric exam in
registered exam centres around Khutsong.
Question 295
Mr TM Masutha to ask the Minister of Education:
What provisions has her department made to accommodate refugee children or
unaccompanied minors of school-going age in the education system?
Reply:
Section 5(1) of the South African School Act 84 of 1996 (the SASA) provides
that a public school must admit learners and serve their educational
requirements without unfairly discriminating in any way. The word "learner" as
defined in the Act includes a refugee child.
This position is even more clearly articulated in paragraph 19 of the
Admission Policy of Ordinary Public Schools (Government Gazette No. 19377 of 19
October 1998) where it states that the admission policy applies equally to
learners who are non-citizens.
Paragraph 19 is complemented by paragraph 18 of the policy in that it allows
the principal of a school to admit a learner even in the absence of a transfer
card from the previous school that the learner attended.
The SASA defines a parent as:
* the parent or guardian of a learner
* the person legally entitled to custody of a learner
* the person who undertakes to fulfil the obligations of a person referred to
in paragraph (a) and (b) towards the learner's education at school.
This definition is wide enough to include any person, who accompanies a
child to school, as a parent of that child.
Question 296
Mr TM Masutha (ANC) to ask the Minister of Education:
a. What is her department's policy regarding learners who fall pregnant
whilst still at school and (b) what does the stipulation "up to two-year
suspension for learners" who fall pregnant, mean?
Reply:
(a) The department's approach to pregnant schoolgirls is underpinned by the
Constitution, section 9 (3), which forbid discrimination on the basis of
pregnancy. Specifically, the SASA guidelines for adopting a learner code of
conduct, section 3 (3.9), state that "a learner who falls pregnant may not be
prevented from attending school." Schools were circularised in 2000 not to
expel pregnant learners.
Moreover, our policy is clearly set out in the Measures for the Prevention
and Management of Learner Pregnancy, which were developed recently and sent to
all public schools. The measures discourage schoolgirl pregnancy and encourage
children to abstain from risky sexual behaviour. They highlight the importance
of positive values, sex education, and HIV and AIDS education programmes.
The measures provide a framework for educating learners about their rights
and responsibilities in relation to pregnancy.
(b) There is, in fact, no stipulation of "up to two years suspension for
learners who fall pregnant" in the measures. Rather the measures state the
following:
"No pre-determined period is specified for this purpose, since it will
depend entirely on the circumstances of each case. However, it is the view of
the Department of Education that learners as parents should exercise full
responsibility for parenting and that a period of up to two years may be
necessary for this purpose. No learner should be re-admitted in the same year
that [she] left school due to a pregnancy."
Learners may request or be required to take leave of absence from school, so
as to address pre-and post-natal health concerns, as well as to care for the
newborn baby.
Question 297
Mr LPM Nzimande (ANC) to ask the Minister of Education:
(a) What is her department's policy regarding transport for learners with
disabilities, (b) what gaps were identified in this policy and (c) (i) how and
(ii) when will these challenges be addressed?
Reply:
(a) Currently policy regarding the provision of scholar transport is a
provincial responsibility. Eight of the nine provinces have learner-transport
schemes. These learner-transport schemes do not deal explicitly with transport
for the disabled.
However, schools for the disabled in most cases provide for learner
transport, which is funded both from state allocations and school fees and
these costs are considered in deciding on school allocations. Some provinces
explicitly fund drivers at schools for the disabled. Provinces also fund hostel
places at schools for the disabled. Provincial practices differ in these
regards.
The issue of transport for learners with special education needs is
currently receiving attention as part of the development of an interim national
funding strategy and norms and standards for funding inclusive education.
(b) The adequacy of funding for schools with learners with special needs and
for inclusive education (which includes provision for transport) has been
identified as a priority issue in the education sector
(c)(i) Is being addressed through further development of funding policy and
through national and provincial budget processes.
(c)(ii) Progress has been made with the funding principles and framework and
budget bids have been finalised for the 2008 Medium Term Expenditure Framework
(MTEF).
Enquiries:
Lunga Ngqengelele
Tel: 012 312 5538
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: ngqengelele.l@doe.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Education
5 September 2007
