Question NW1089 to the Minister of Basic Education
13 July 2020 - NW1089
Van Der Walt, Ms D to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1) Whether any determination has been made of the (a) full cost of running a public ordinary school that is considered adequately resourced with regard to teaching and non-teaching staff, infrastructure, school furniture and equipment, (b) funding supplied by the provincial departments to run such a school and (c) shortfall in funding which must be covered by the school and the school community; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; (2) whether such a determination will be made; if so, on what date; (3) whether any determination has been made of the (a) ability of no-fee schools to cover such a shortfall in funding to achieve adequate resourcing and (b) situation in schools where it has not been possible to cover the shortfall; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; (4) (a) which natural or juristic person bears the responsibility for fundraising at a school and (b) how is performance by principals and other employees from the provincial department formally recognised in this regard (5) whether she has any plans to encourage school communities to assist with the funding of schools; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. (a) Whether any determination has been made of the (a) full cost of running a public ordinary school that is considered adequately resourced with regard to teaching and non-teaching staff, infrastructure, school furniture and equipment, (b) funding supplied by the provincial departments to run such a school and (c) shortfall in funding which must be covered by the school and the school community; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;
(b) The schools are funded as follows for the current year for the Non-Personnel Non-Capital (NPNC):
|
PROVINCE |
NO FEE PER LEARNER ALLOCATION |
FEE PAYING PER LEARNER ALLOCATION Q4 |
FEE PAYING PER LEARNER ALLOCATION Q5 |
|
Gazetted Target per learner amount |
R 1 466 |
R 735 |
R 254 |
|
EC |
R 1 466 |
R 735 |
R 254 |
|
FS |
R 1 466 |
R 735 |
R 254 |
|
GT |
R 1 466 |
R 735 |
R 735 |
|
KZN |
R 955 |
R 522 |
R 179 |
|
LP |
R 1 466 |
R 735 |
R 254 |
|
MPU |
R 1 370 |
R 692 |
R 240 |
|
NC |
R 1 134 |
R 765 |
R 354 |
|
NW |
R 1 466 |
R 735 |
R 254 |
|
WC |
R 1 466 |
R 1 200 |
R 395 |
The above table indicates the affordability levels of Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) against the approved national targets for funding of public ordinary schools.
(c) It should be noted that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Mpumalanga (MP) and Northern Cape (NC) are not funding at the required levels of funding.
Schools are mandated to draw-up their budgets in terms of section 38 of the South African Schools Act (SASA), 1996 (Act No. 84 of 1996) each year, taking into account all available sources of funding. This would mean that schools would then take into account the funding by the Department, even if it is not at the national target, as well as any funding source that is available to the school like school fees, donor funding etc. it therefore, cannot be said that schools operate on a shortfall, all plans that could not be accommodated in one year, are deferred to the following year.
It should also be indicated that no fee schools that are underfunded, have a right to charge compulsory fees in terms of paragraph 163 of the National Norms and Standards for School Funding (NNSSF); and to date, there is no record of a school that acted on this right.
2. Not applicable for the Non-Personnel Non-Capital (NPNC) costs.
3. Not applicable for the NPNC
4. (a) The School Governing Body is responsible for fundraising at their respective schools, in terms of section 20 (1) h & (2) and 36 of the SASA; (b) The DBE does not keep such information.
5. The Department has guidelines which encourages parents to contribute towards the running of schools. See attached