Question NW2103 to the Minister of Basic Education
23 July 2018 - NW2103
Bucwa, Ms H to ask the Minister of Basic Education
Whether, in light of high numbers of unplaced learners each year, her department intends to revise its plans of rationalising schools by either closure or merger; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) does not plan to revise its rationalisation programme of schools. The current rationalisation plans target schools in places where learner enrolment is low and they never experience high influx that leads to learners being unplaced. The Provincial Education Departments are advised by the DBE to ensure that learners are not disadvantaged with the merger/closure of schools.
The object or rationalisation of small schools and non-viable schools is to reduce or eliminate the number of small schools by merging them with other schools so as to address inefficiencies in the system and improve the quality of education.
Rationalisation of small and non-viable schools is prevalent in rural provinces and unplaced learners are mostly found in urban provinces that do not rationalise any of its schools or they are rationalising at a far less lower rate compared to the rural provinces.