Question NW3504 to the Minister of Basic Education

Share this page:

06 October 2015 - NW3504

Profile picture: Boshoff, Ms SH

Boshoff, Ms SH to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(1)How many learners with disabilities and barriers to learning have been turned away from mainstream and/or full service schools and referred to special needs schools in respect of each province and district as at the latest specified date for which information is available; (2) (a) how many learners with disabilities and barriers to learning are currently on waiting lists to attend (i) mainstream schools and (ii) special needs schools in each province and district and (b) what is the maximum time period that the specified learners may be placed on a waiting list in respect of (i) mainstream schools and (ii) special needs schools; (3) how many officials at (a) district offices and (b) provincial education departments are suitably qualified to determine a learner’s disability in respect of each province and district; (4) how many learners with disabilities or barriers to learning (a) drop out of school and/or (b) do not complete their schooling successfully in respect of each province and district (5) how many learners with disabilities or barriers to learning at mainstream schools (a) completed their compulsory education and (b)(i) found employment and/or (ii) progressed to further education in respect of each province and district?

Reply:

 

1. The number of learners with disabilities and/or barriers to learning that have been turned away from mainstream and/or full service schools and referred to special needs schools in respect of each province and district is not readily available in the Department of Basic Education given that the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) Policy has only been promulgated in December 2014 and its rollout plan to scale is starting from 2015 through to 2018.

​2. (a) The number of learners with disabilities and barriers to learning who are currently on waiting lists:

    (i) to attend mainstream schools per province and district is not readily available given that the SIAS Policy implementation has only just commenced in 2015; however, learners currently on waiting lists

    (ii) to attend special schools per province is provided in the table below. The information is not available in disaggregations per district.

Province

Number of Children/Learners on Waiting Lists: 2014

EC

 183

FS

561

GT

155

KZN

 1111

LP

 1027

MP

725

NC

1643

NW

 There are no learners on waiting lists. All learners placed in schools awaiting appropriate placement

WC

147

Most learners identified as needing special school placement are in ordinary/full-service schools receiving support while awaiting placement. 

National total:

5552

(2)  (b) There is no maximum time period specified for learners in respect of

      (i) mainstream schools and

      (ii) special needs schools to be on the waiting lists. Instead, the Admissions Policy advocates for urgent intervention by             a Provincial Head of Department in setting up an assessment and alternative placement process to ensure that                    learners in this situation access education with immediate effect.

(3)   The number of officials at:

(a) District offices; and

(b) Provincial Education Departments that are suitably qualified to determine a learner’s disability in respect of each province and district is not readily available in the DBE as the DBE makes referrals on disabilities to local health professionals and medical practitioners employed by the Department of Health.

4.  (b) Percentage of 7- to 18-year old children with disabilities who are out of schools/educational institutions.

 

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

EC

32.4

45.0

40.0

25.0

33.8

30.8

44.1

22.8

13.1

13.9

19.8

18.0

17.5

FS

14.5

34.4

37.7

12.9

20.4

21.6

25.6

11.0

8.5

6.6

5.7

9.3

11.5

GP

25.0

17.6

11.8

9.5

13.5

20.5

13.6

14.7

10.7

8.0

15.0

3.8

7.6

KZ

45.9

41.4

65.8

29.7

29.6

32.3

36.1

14.9

17.0

10.4

7.8

11.1

10.4

LP

33.5

36.7

31.3

43.0

22.5

33.6

42.5

13.2

8.3

5.4

12.3

15.1

12.7

MP

31.0

32.6

36.3

37.7

34.4

37.6

23.8

5.8

5.6

3.2

5.2

11.5

12.4

NW

35.0

38.0

47.8

25.8

23.2

23.4

36.3

26.7

7.3

14.4

10.4

5.4

7.5

NC

37.2

30.1

25.9

23.4

24.9

31.8

36.0

34.6

11.3

4.1

4.9

14.6

1.4

WC

24.5

36.3

26.5

28.6

24.0

11.9

27.4

9.9

5.0

23.6

13.7

6.3

8.6

SA

31.8

35.1

39.2

25.5

26.4

28.3

30.6

15.0

10.3

9.2

11.1

10.5

11.2

Source: General Household Survey (GHS), 2002-2014, DBE own calculation.

 

5. The number of learners with disabilities or barriers to learning at mainstream schools who:

(a) Percentage of 15- to 24-year olds with disabilities who completed grade 9 and above.

 

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

EC

21.4

8.7

19.5

24.6

35.6

35.6

22.8

20.2

60.4

48.1

25.9

52.1

21.6

FS

32.0

31.3

13.1

46.3

41.8

44.8

41.0

54.0

49.9

53.2

58.1

55.6

66.7

GP

48.8

47.2

47.1

54.0

43.3

40.7

68.2

52.9

58.8

58.8

76.1

84.6

73.2

KZ

41.9

18.8

19.1

35.8

37.5

34.3

37.7

40.8

52.4

56.2

34.8

53.4

39.8

LP

49.7

38.0

27.5

13.2

33.6

33.6

49.3

23.6

43.7

21.2

51.9

49.5

27.6

MP

36.6

43.9

27.9

50.5

39.8

35.4

35.1

60.1

44.8

43.5

54.2

46.8

55.1

NW

47.4

32.9

35.0

44.2

28.3

42.6

52.8

44.1

52.6

46.5

39.2

46.3

40.2

NC

45.9

18.5

21.7

41.9

20.2

48.8

46.1

30.0

33.9

47.1

50.1

51.7

91.1

WC

40.1

37.9

17.2

61.5

32.9

31.2

32.1

34.8

61.4

52.8

73.7

64.1

76.8

SA

39.2

30.3

26.6

39.1

36.8

36.9

43.5

40.3

54.4

49.7

50.2

57.4

51.0

(a)    Source: General Household Survey (GHS), 2002-2014, DBE own calculation.

b.  (i) found employment should be available from the Department of Labour (DoL); as well as

    (iii) progressed to further education in respect of each province and district should be available from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).



END

Source file