Question NW1660 to the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

a) The following are the criteria used to determine learner transport demand as per the policy on learner transport:

• Beneficiaries must be needy learners from grade R to 12 as prescribed;

• Learner transport will be to the nearest appropriate school only and not to a school of parental choice (parental choice means parents prefer to enrol their children at schools other than the nearest suitable school);

• Priority must be given to learners with disabilities, taking into considering the nature of the disability;

• Priority must be given to primary schools learners who walk long distances to schools; and

• Existing learner transport services must be taken into account when identifying beneficiaries as no learner transport services will be provided in areas where public transport is available in order to avoid duplication of services and resources.

b) The total demand expected to decrease between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 financial years in the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape due to different factors such as, but not limited to:

  (a) Rationalisation, mergers and closure of schools; and

  (b) Verification process where learners who do not qualify are removed from the service.

   (c) Gauteng is experiencing influx of learners from different provinces, and the resultant establishment of informal settlements were there are no schools, which result in the increase in the demand for learner transport.

    In KZN, the number is increasing as a result of rationalisation of schools.

     In Limpopo, the increase in demand is a result of the relocation of communities from areas where there were schools to Redistribution and Development Programme housing and establishment informal settlement where there are no schools.