Questions and Replies

Reply:

a) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has identified national priorities for Teacher Development for a three-year circle. In 2024/25 the following initiatives/priorities are being addressed:

• Learning Recovery Programme
• Sign Language
• Reading
• Digital Skills – Remote learning, teaching and training (Skills for the Changing World)
• Foundation Phase & Intermediate Phase Mathematics/Numeracy
• Novice Teachers’ Induction and Mentoring
• ECD; and
• Occupational and Vocational subjects content.

b) DBE is currently working with the EDTP SETA to strengthen the policy framework through the review of the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development (ISPFTED) and the National Framework for Teacher Education and Development (NFTED). DBE has strengthening collaboration with DHET to improve the quality of programmes and instituting induction programme. The Provincial Education Departments have the Skills Levy that is used to roll-out programmes. They also allocate a portion of the voted funds. DBE has also developed a Strategy for Coordination and Resourcing of Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) programmes which will assist PEDs and DBE in coordination the use of skills development funding. Provinces have also established Provincial Teacher Development Institutes and District Teacher Development Centres as local hubs for professional development. These hubs are in all education districts in the country. They are supported by DBE partners such as Vodacom to equip and connect them. Teachers use these hubs for training as well as to access digital programmes and materials. DBE has also expanded access through online Teacher Development platform and strengthening the institutional mechanisms (Including the National Institute for Curriculum and Professional Development (NICPD). Furthermore, DBE together with PEDs have established Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). DBE also works with the Teacher Union Collaboration (TUC) programme where Teacher Unions rollout critical CPTD Programmes. Through Funza Lushaka, the Department funded and supplied the sector with teachers in different phases with the following throughput:  For Intermediate and Senior/FET Phases the subjects provided are Mathematics, Science, Technology, Engineering. For Foundation Phase we provide teachers with Language and Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy.

c) The Department has developed impact assessment tools to determine the impact of CPTD programmes. Furthermore, DBE collaborates with the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), VVOB and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Johannesburg (UJ), etc.

Reply:

The question relating to schools to be repaired and renovated in North West, all provinces and districts  falls under the Executive Authority of the respective Members of the Executive Council (MEC) for the respective provinces. The Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MEC's for Education in Provinces as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. 

Reply:

(1)  The question falls under the Executive Authority of the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Gauteng Province. The Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MEC for Education for Gauteng Province as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. 

Reply:

1. Learner Transport Programme is a shared responsibility between the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Transport. The National Department of Basic Education is not responsible for the provisioning of Learner Transport Programme. The provisioning and prioritisation of learner transport programme is a provincial competency and in this case,  the provisioning of learner transport in the Eastern Cape resides with the Provincial Department of Transport and it is funded through the Equitable Share allocations.

2. The provisioning of learner transport programme is a provincial competency and as such, the question falls under the Executive Authority of the Member of the Executive Council (MEC). The Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MEC as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. The Provincial Department of Transport in the Eastern Cape as the contracting authority will be in a position to furnish the Honourable Member with the details of the service providers along with the routes.

Reply:

a) Poor educational outcomes

Learners' poor educational outcomes are indeed well-documented from different sources or research findings. The poor performance of South African learners, particularly those from Quintile 1-3 schools, just to mention few, on: (1) national (Annual National Assessment); (2) regional (the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ)); (3) international assessments [the Progress of International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)]; and (4) the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS)) has its footprints on poor basic reading competency skills in lower grades. Reading interventions, particularly in primary schools are the apex priority of the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

b) Rising illiteracy rates

In response to the rising illiteracy rate the DBE has developed the National Reading Literacy Strategy to arrest the upward trajectory of illiteracy. In the country The Strategy is premised on four main pillars (1. Reading Policy, 2. Initial Teacher Development and Training, 3. Learning and Teaching Support Materials, and 4. Parents and Communities. Also included in the Strategy are the following three cross- cutting strands that are embedded in the above four pillars: 1. Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation, 2. Advocacy and Communication, and 3. Partnerships.,

Furthermore, the DBE has a number of intervention programmes that are aimed to improve learners’ learning outcomes and teachers’ pedagogical competencies. Just to mention few, the Early Graded Reading Assessment (EGRA), Primary Schools Reading Improvement Programme (PSRIP), Reading Across the Curriculum, Systemic Improvement of Languages and Numeracy Project, Study Guides on how to teach and assess, etc.

c) The fact that about four out of five teachers in public schools lack content knowledge and pedagogical skills to teach their subjects

The Department of Basic Education is adhering to outputs 1 to 3 of the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development, 2011 by implementing the National 3 – Year Plan for Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) which comprised of Provincial Plans. This is to ensure that there is alignment between DBE and Provinces in responding to sectoral priorities. These CPTD programmes are SACE endorsed to address issues of quality and also to ensure that teachers are credited with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points. The Department monitors quality of these programmes through the SACE endorsement process as well as through monitoring by officials from Teacher Development and Curriculum. The Department has collaborated with the NECT and VVOB to develop tools to measure the impact of CPTD programmes. These will assist in determining whether the delivered programmes are making the required impact.  DBE has also developed an Online Teacher Development Platform (OTDP) to improve access of teachers to development opportunities. This will ensure that more teachers can have the opportunity to develop themselves. The DBE is also strengthening Teacher Development Platforms such as   teacher centres, Teacher Union Collaboration and (TUC) and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in order to expand access of teachers to training opportunities. Efforts are being undertaken to strengthen the coordination in the delivery of programmes, as well as more efficient use of skills development funding to support training initiatives.

d) A predicted shortage of teachers in years to come, what immediate interventions will be taken to change the situation?

In 2020, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) published a report entitled “School Teacher Supply and Demand in South Africa in 2019 and Beyond”. This alerted the sector to the potential shortage of educators in the next 10 years. This is based on the expected higher-than-normal attrition rate resulting from retirements, this then being a case of replacement demand that will be higher than normal.

Consequently, the Department has as a result made an analysis of the potential impact on the sector. This included an analysis of the trends in the supply of initial teacher education graduates which have been on an upward trajectory since 2008. The audited report of initial teacher education graduates released by the DHET indicated the output of 29,712 graduates in 2021. As per the historical trends of both enrolment and graduation rates, this number is unlikely to be reduced. Therefore, we believe that even at the highest peak of demand, estimated to be around 26 000 the supply will be adequate to meet the demand.

However, the Department, working with other stakeholders including the DHET and university research units is focusing on improved planning and analysis of the future demand in relation to the mix of skills that will be required. Initiatives in this regard include improving the quality of data required for more accurate predictions, especially on issues such as phase, subject and language specializations.

Furthermore, in addition to improving the planning, the Department continues to influence the shape of the graduation output through its flagship bursary scheme, the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme. The Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme is a targeted initiative focusing on granting bursaries for studying scarce skills including the Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Foundation Phase in African Language; and new subjects.

The Department believes that these initiatives will help mitigate the effects of any future teacher shortages.

Reply:

 (a) The Presidential and Provincial proclamations that were signed by the President and the respective Premiers in 2021 enacted the shift of the ECD function from the Minister and MECs of Social Development to the Minister and MECs of Basic Education on 1 April 2022. This has meant that all resources (human, financial and capital) that were connected to the function were transferred from the relinquishing department to the receiving department on 1 April 2022.

(b) There is currently a multitude of challenges in the early childhood development sector and they can be divided into three main categories: (1) systemic challenges; (2) challenges in having access to early learning opportunities for all children; (3) challenges in the quality of early learning opportunities provided. The main systemic challenges entail the overly burdensome regulatory framework, the lack of a management information system, historic underfunding of the sector, lack of infrastructure support to ECD centres, the lack of a quality assurance system and under-qualified practitioners. The challenge with access is that only 58% of 3-year-olds and 75% of 4-year-olds are currently accessing early learning opportunities. Ideally, we would like all 4-year-olds to be able to access early learning opportunities. Finally, the Thrive by Five Index highlighted the quality constraints in the ECD sector, with only 44.5% of 4-year-olds being developmentally on track in their early learning outcomes. To address these challenges, the DBE has developed the 2030 Strategy for ECD programmes as a roadmap to achieve the vision of universal access to quality ECD programmes by 2030. The 2024/25 financial year is the first year of the implementation of the Strategy where the DBE has prioritised the reduction of red tape through the implementation of a Mass Registration Drive and processing the 2023 Children’s Amendment Bill. To improve the quality of ECD programme delivery, the DBE is strengthening the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), through the development of guidelines and Learner Teacher Support Material (LTSM) for NCF implementation. The DBE is also working on the development of a quality assurance and support system to progressively support ECD programmes to meet the DBE's quality standards. 

(c) The ECD and Inclusive Education directorates are collaborating with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) on the development of a screening tool to assist ECD practitioners with early identification and intervention of developmental delays. Plans are in place to train health officials and ECD practitioners on the use of these tools to identify children with special needs are early as possible, and to provide them with the needed support. All materials and training on the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework also include information to guide ECD practitioners on implementing inclusive practices in their classrooms.

Reply:

The provision of sanitary towels to schools is a competency of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD). The full grant is in the custody of DWYPD. The DWYPD have full oversight on logistical operations of sanitary towel distribution, including monitoring, evaluation and reporting. It is recommended that the Honourable Member kindly redirects the question to the relevant Department, as they may have the details on the requested information.

Reply:

a) A total number of claims currently due and /or outstanding following Court proceedings in respect of alleged recklessness, negligence, and misconduct of the departmental officials.

ANSWER:

The Department of Basic Education does not have any claim that is due and/or outstanding following  Court proceedings in respect of alleged:

1. Recklessness;
2. Negligence; and
3. Misconduct of the department’s officials

 

b) Full list of total contingent liability

ANSWER:

The Department of Basic Education currently has twenty court cases on its (20) Contingent Liability Register  to  a total amount of R 173 744 000.00 (One hundred and seventy-three million seven hundred and forty-four thousand rand).  None of these court cases involved departmental officials and these cases originated mainly in the provinces.

Reply:

The DBE has established a Human Resource Development Task Team responsible for developing a Strategic Human Resource Development Plan for the ECD workforce. This plan will outline the qualifications that are available for ECD practitioners; the expectations in terms of competencies, skills and qualifications at different levels; flexible opportunities for training and development including recognition of prior learning; clear career paths and conditions of service.

Whilst the Strategic Human Resource Development Plan for ECD is being developed, the DBE continues with training opportunities that are provided for ECD practitioners through the ETDP Seta to give them opportunities to upgrade their qualifications from NQF level 4 to 6  

Reply:

In 2024, the DBE released its 2030 Strategy for ECD programmes. The development of the Strategy was based on a comprehensive analysis of the ECD sector and aimed to address the challenge identified of the majority of children not having access to quality ECD programmes, with the poorest children most likely to miss out. Based on this, the Strategy aims to ensure universal access to quality ECD prioritising to the most vulnerable children. In implementing the Strategy, the DBE has three priority activities for 2024:

1. The Mass Registration Drive which aims to pull all ECD programmes into the regulatory net through developmental approaches, so that vulnerable children can benefit from the ECD subsidy;
2. Development of a population-based planning tool, to ensure that resources are efficiently targeted to the most vulnerable and under-served communities; and
3. The development of daily activity plans for ECD practitioners, with guidance on the implementation of inclusive practices during their lessons.

Reply:

a) What are the current traits of a learner who has completed a primary level of education?

 A Grade 12 learner who has completed a Primary level education should be able to listen, speak, read with understanding and write in their Home Language and a First Additional Language.

They should be able to read with understanding and respond appropriately to the prompts provided in the question papers, discussions and such settings that they may be exposed to. Furthermore, they should be critical readers of texts and be able to express their views on texts. They should also be able to express their views and sustain an argument in support of their views. 

They should also have acquired the skills and knowledge of the subjects they are offering as outlined in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements and be able to demonstrate the relatedness of the knowledge acquired in their daily life.

In accordance with the CAPS learners who have completed the primary level of education should be possess with the following traits: Ambition, Analytical, Creativity, Critical thinking, Curiosity, Collaborative, Compassion, Organised, Disciplined, Respectful and Resilient amongst others, as acquired through the curriculum and practical applications through various forms of assessment.

The National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 aims to produce learners that are able to:

• identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking; 
• work effectively as individuals and with others as members of a team;
• organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively;
• collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information;
• communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes;
• use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others; and
• demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

b) What guarantees that the Grade offer the learner to be equipped with?

The skills highlighted above together with the high content knowledge taught through various subjects are all dependent upon the learners themselves as to how motivated they are intrinsically to ensure that they apply the skill to better their chances of success in life. These skills and knowledge received prepares learners to be able to function in the 21st century world and become global citizens.

c) What employable involvement does the learner who has completed Grade 12 have in the economy?

Learners who have completed Grade 12 have been equipped with Employability Skills and prepared to acquire Entrepreneurial Mind-sets so that they can not only seek but also create employment. These has been done through the curriculum and also aligning career content to the subject matter as outlined below:

The National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 serves the purposes of:

•    equipping learners, irrespective of their socio-economic background, race, gender, physical ability or intellectual ability, with the knowledge, skills and values necessary for self-fulfilment, and meaningful participation in society as citizens of a free country;

•    providing access to higher education;

•    facilitating the transition of learners from education institutions to the workplace;

•    providing employers with a sufficient profile of a learner’s competences.

The Department through Career Development Services (CDS) initiative also provides free quality career information, advice and guidance to South Africans of all ages and from all walks of life throughout their lives. CDS aims to ensure equitable access to all thus equipping learners to become active and productive citizens who can contribute to the socio-economic status of the country. CDS under the brand name Khetha: Make the Right Choice offers the following services: National coordination, Multi-channel Career Advice Helpline and an Outreach Programme.

The DBE collaboration and partnership with the DHET and DEL in the Education for Employability (E4E) programme funded by the European Union (EU)  aims to advance and ensure a smooth transition from the basic schooling sector through to the Post School Education and Training System (PSET) and to the world of work. Services offered by the three Departments include provision of career education, information, advice, guidance and counselling by career advisors and counsellors; access to the National Career Advisory Portal (NCAP) and registration on the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) System.

Reply:

1. What are the full relevant details of any measures that have been put in place by her department recently to prevent acts of violence in schools?

 

a) School Safety District Support Intervention in Gauteng: Sedibeng East & West

The DBE in collaboration with Gauteng Department of Education implemented the School Safety District Support Intervention in Gauteng, Sedibeng East and West Districts from the 03 - 05th of June 2024. The intervention included Local Stakeholder engagement meeting comprising of partner departments, local municipality and civil society organisations, which was convened on the 03rd of June 2024. A total of 52 people participated in the meeting and stakeholders agreed to plan and implement school safety related programmes jointly in Sedibeng schools.

On 04-05 June 2024, the DBE convened a workshop at Quest Conference Estate in Vanderbijlpark, which covered the National School Safety Framework (NSSF), the Protocol on the Reporting and Management of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in schools, the Policy on the prevention and management of Learner Pregnancy, The Prevention and Management of Bullying in schools, including cyberbullying, Psychosocial Support Programme, as well as the Procedures of Learner Discipline in schools and Disaster Risk Management. On day one, a total of 184 people (School principals, SGB members and School Safety Officers) attended the workshop, and on day two, a total of 188 people (School principals, SGB members and School Safety Officers) people from 52 schools and partner departments also attended the workshop.

b) Partnership Protocol between the Department of Basic Education and the South African Police Service

The Department also has an established Protocol with SAPS to address crime and violence in schools. The Protocol has enabled all schools to be linked to their local police stations, SAPS conduct searches and seizures in schools and conduct crime awareness campaigns in schools. Regularly, schools work with SAPS and local community police forums and social workers to address violent incidents such as gangsterism, bullying, drug abuse and the carrying of dangerous weapons in schools in schools.

Constantly, searches and seizures of illegal drugs and dangerous weapons are done in schools.  However, these searches and seizers are only done if there is reasonable suspicion of violence in the school.

c) Online Safety and Cyberbullying Programme: Cyber-Safety Toolkit

The DBE in partnership with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, as well as the Provincial Education Departments in Limpopo and Gauteng conducted awareness sessions on cyber-safety and cyberbullying in schools. These awareness sessions took place at Wordsworth High School, Gauteng Province  on the 10th  of April 2024, and also at Bela-Bela Secondary School and Mapoe Secondary School Limpopo Province on the 18th  of April 2024. The awareness sessions were anchored around the Cyber-Safety Awareness Toolkit. A total of 300 learners were reached throughout the awareness sessions.

d) District Monitoring of School Safety Programmes

Recently, the DBE monitored the implementation of the NSSF and other school safety programmes in 10 districts across three provinces: Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng) within the first quarter of the financial year, April to June 2024.

 

The table below indicates the number districts monitored per provinces:

Province	District Name	Dates
Eastern Cape	Amathole West	20 May 2024
	Amathole East	21 May 2024
	OR Tambo Coastal	22 May 2024
	Joe Gqabi	24 May 2024
Gauteng	Tshwane South	30 May 2024
	Tshwane North	30 May 2024
	Tshwane West	31 May 2024
Western Cape	Eden & Central Karoo	10 June 2024
	Overberg	12 June 2024
	Cape Winelands	13 June 2024

 

e) Disaster Risk Management Assessment Tool 

In June 2024, the team comprising of DBE, National Disaster Risk Management Centre and SANTAM with the Northern Cape Education Department assessed eight public special schools in the Northern Cape province. Upon completion of the assessments, SANTAM Insurance donated Fire Systems and extinguishers in the schools including upgrade of the hydrants in some schools.

f) PROVINCIAL INITIATIVES

• Gauteng Education Department has deployed 5 387 school patrollers and security guards to 75 schools.
• The Western Cape Education Department has deployed 90 School Resource Officers to 45 schools
• Eastern Cape has deployed 262 Security Assistants in 131 schools in Nelson Mandela Bay, 156 Security Guards in Buffalo City, OR Tambo Inland- 262 Security Guards in 131 schools.
• The North-West Education Department had deployed security guards in 32 special schools, 11 Mega farm schools and four technical schools.
• KZN Circular 53 of 2024 was issued encouraging schools to re-establish School Safety Committees and to link all of them with Police Stations post the completion of SGB Elections.

 

2. Whether there is any cogent policy in place that deals with the issue of safety and security in schools; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? 

a) Regulations for Safety Measures at all Public Schools 2001

The Department has the Regulations for Safety Measures at all Public Schools 2001 in place as means to ensure that schools are safe learning environments. The regulations have declared that all schools are alcohol and drug free zones, thus no persons may enter school premises under the influence of alcohol and illicit drugs , or in possession of dangerous weapons. In addition, the Regulations also allow principals, police officers and delegated officers to conduct searches and seizures of illicit drugs and dangerous weapons, if there is reasonable suspicion.

 

b) Policy Framework for the Regulations of Drug Abuse by learners in Public Schools   and  Public Further Education and Training Institutions 2002

In supporting the regulations on safety measures , the Department further introduced the   Policy Framework for the Regulations of Drug Abuse by learners in Public Schools and  Public Further Education and Training Institutions 2002, which advocates for preventative methods on alcohol and drug abuse to be implemented through the introduction of Life Orientation Curricula, and also for support and care to be provided to addicted learners so that they can be rehabilitated. The policy framework further make provision for drug testing in schools to be conducted in schools, but only if there is reasonable suspicion.

 c) National School Safety Framework

The DBE has also developed the NSSF which is a guiding framework in addressing all forms of violent incidences in schools. The NSSF empowers schools to identify and manage all safety threats in schools, establish school safety committees comprising of stakeholders such as teachers, police officers, school governing body members and learner representative council members. Furthermore, The NSSF also empowers schools to develop incident reporting mechanisms, establish collaborations with external stakeholders such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Social Development and civil society organisations, develop school safety plans and policies to respond to safety challenges of drug abuse in schools.

Through the implementation of the NSSF, access control measures in schools are strengthened and awareness programmes on social ills by partner departments and civil society organisations are implemented in schools.

The DBE together with its partner the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute further developed an NSSF digital training course for school communities, to enable them to access the training anywhere in the country. The course has been accredited by the South African Council of Educators. As a result, educators receive 15 Professional Development Points (PDP) for successfully completing the course. From April 2023 to March 2024, 80 700 people completed the course (officials, school safety officers, School Governing Body Members).

Reply:

The question falls under the Executive Authorities of the Members of the Executive Council (MECs) of the 9 provinces. The Hon Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MECs as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134(5)(b) of the NA rules. 

                                                                 

Reply:

There is no policy or practice that supports rote learning over critical thinking for learners. Our policy statement, encapsulated in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), underscores the significance of prioritizing critical learning. It clearly states that "The National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12 serves the purposes of facilitating the transition of learners from education institutions to the workplace." It further states that it "aims to produce learners that can identify and solve problems and make decisions by using critical and creative thinking."

Three Stream Model (TSM)

The DBE has introduced the Three Stream Model (TSM), which refers to multiple learning pathways for schooling within the academic, vocational, and occupationally oriented streams for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) in the South African schooling system.

The vocational and occupational streams emphasise practical skills development. Learners can acquire hands-on skills relevant to various industries.

This focus on skills equips learners with competencies needed for the changing nature of work, including those driven by global trends and technological advancements such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

The TSM curriculum aligns with national policy imperatives, including the National Development Plan (NDP).

The model contributes to the broader vision of sustainable development and a skilled workforce.

The TSM represents an investment in South Africa’s future. In diversifying education and emphasising on skills development, it has the potential to create adaptable, versatile, well prepared and equipped generations of learners, who will appropriately respond to the country’s clarion call for an able and skilled workforce towards a dynamic and responsive economy.

Entrepreneurship in Schools

Following four years of research from 2010 -2014, on 02 April 2014, the Deputy President and key cabinet Ministers of the Human Resource Development Council South Africa (HRDC SA), approved the recommendations tabled by the “Enabling Entrepreneurship” Technical Task Team to include Entrepreneurship Education into the National Formal Education of all learners from Grades R-12. As a result, the HRDC mandated the DBE to implement the recommendation.

In response to the mandate received from the HRDC, the DBE, after due consultation within the Basic Education Sector, developed draft Sector Plan on Entrepreneurship in Schools to 2030. On 4 June 2015, the Council of Education Ministers approved Sector Plan and launched it at the DBE Sector Lekgotla on 22 January 2018.

The Sector Plan aims to lay a sound foundation within the schooling system for future entrepreneurs with a strong focus on skills for a changing world. The Entrepreneurship, Employability and Education Programme referred to as DBE - E³ (ECUBED) Programme was developed as per prescripts of the Sector Plan.

The DBE - E³ Programme aims to the address unemployment in South Africa and help learners succeed and thrive once they become adults.

The vision of the DBE - E³ Programme is of a South African schooling system that creates an enabling and caring environment where learners feel confident, have autonomy and the agency to be innovative, creative, curious, take risks, and learn from mistakes.

This initiative does not in any way change the underlying Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) of the National Curriculum Statement. Rather, through the introduction of collaborative teaching methodologies, it will enhance the development of entrepreneurial skills, problem-solving, and action-oriented mind-sets. In this way it will promote more practical, creative, caring, competent, and confident individuals. This will result in young people being better equipped for the working world, be it as employees, business owners or social entrepreneurs working towards social upliftment. Improving the quality of education requires careful management and support from all interested parties. 

It is important to note that these skills are listed as principles of teaching and learning in Section 1 of the CAPS as follows: 

• identify and solve problems and make decisions.
• work effectively as individuals, with others as members of a team and promoted inclusivity.
• organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively.
• collect, analyse, organise, and critically evaluate information.
• communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes.
• use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others; and
• demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

Extensive international research has shown the effectiveness of the project-based learning approach makes learning more engaging, increases learners’ interest in schooling and develops the core fundamental skill sets needed to be successful in today’s global economy. This research shows this approach results in more employable graduates from the school system, as well as more successful entrepreneurial start-ups. We believe that this initiative can have the same result for South African learners.

Hence, the DBE-E³ Programme is using Project Based Learning methodology among others to activate 21st-century competencies in every learner so they can leave school employable, engaged in further education, and be entrepreneurial.

Entrepreneurship means being able and ready to imagine, plan, organise and run a business; and handle the uncertainties that come along the way. An entrepreneurial mindset or way of thinking is something that everyone has inside them and the right classroom environment, and way of learning can help unlock this in each child. An entrepreneurial mindset is a problem-solving way of thinking that can help a person participate in the economy when they leave school or finish studying.

All stakeholders: schools, teachers, principals, provincial officials, businesses, and social partners to seize this unique learning and teaching opportunity and to continue to work together in the spirit of creating an employed and an entrepreneurial nation.

Coding and Robotics

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has finalised the Coding and Robotics (C&R) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), which Umalusi has approved and the DBE plans to fully implement in Foundation Phase (FP) in 2025.

The teaching and learning of Coding and Robotics (C&R) aim to develop the following for the learner to be able to:

• develop computational thinking skills to solve problems.
• advance design thinking to develop creative and human-centred approaches to solve problems.
• become part of a generation of creative, innovative systems thinkers that can use coding, robotics, and digital competencies to express their ideas.
• foster creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and innovation.
• function ethically and effectively in a digital and information-driven world.
• develop a critical awareness of how technologies impact society at large.
• instil self-efficacy and confidence to deal with situations requiring computational thinking, design thinking and problem solving.
• prepare for future careers in STEAM related fields.
• adopt a culture of being self-directed, life-long learners who can apply their skills in a wide range of contexts and situations (adaptable, flexible, and resilient).

The C&R CAPS is competence-based - focuses on a combination of knowledge skills, attitudes, and values which is reflected in behaviour that can be observed, measured, and evaluated. It refers to the ability to perform a specific task successfully and efficiently or in a manner that yields desirable outcomes.

Furthermore, the curriculum is grounded in the Science of Learning and Deliberate Practise.

Using the Science of Learning which stipulates that learning happens through practise and regular retrieval (spaced & interleaved), it enables the DBE to identify the most effective teaching and learning strategies based on empirical evidence, and that has been shown to improve long-term retention of information and enhance learning outcomes.

Deliberate practise involves setting specific goals, receiving feedback (e.g. from teachers and peers), and making focused efforts to acquire and improve knowledge, skills and performance. It involves purposeful repetition, feedback-driven metacognition, and gradual extension to improve performance.

The C&R CAPS is also informed by Literature re teaching and learning C&R, Activity Theory, Discovery Learning, Problem-based learning, and Cooperative Learning.

All the above proves that the DBE’s emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and are committed to ensure that learners acquire the necessary competencies to flourish in the modern job market.

Reply:

(a)(b)(i)(ii)The National Department of Basic Education does not collect information, as part of its framework of regular monitoring, collect information to the level of the detail that is requested, that is, area of specialisation and grade. The Honorable member is kindly advised to request the information directly from the Provincial Education Departments.

Reply:

Resource provisioning for schools, which includes resourcing for library and information services, is a function located in provinces. The Honourable Member is therefore advised to direct her question to the Members of the Executive Council. 

Reply:

1.National School Safety Framework
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Provincial Education Departments continue to implement the National School Safety Framework (NSSF), which is a guiding framework in addressing all forms of violent incidences in schools including drug abuse. The NSSF empowers schools to identify and manage all safety threats in schools, establish school safety committees comprising of stakeholders such as teachers, police officers, school governing body members and learner representative council members. Furthermore, The NSSF also empowers schools to develop incident reporting mechanisms, establish collaborations with external stakeholders such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Social Development and civil society organisations, develop school safety plans and policies to respond to safety challenges of violence in schools for both learners and educators. Through the implementation of the NSSF, access control measures in schools are strengthened and awareness programmes on social ills by partner departments and civil society organisations are implemented in schools. 

2. Partnership Protocol between the Department of Basic Education and the South African Police Service 
The Department also has an established Protocol with SAPS to address crime and violence in schools. The Protocol has enabled all schools to be linked to their local police stations, SAPS to conduct searches and seizures in schools and conduct crime awareness campaigns in schools. Regularly, schools work with SAPS and local community police forums and social workers to address violent incidents such as gangsterism, bullying, drug abuse and the carrying of dangerous weapons in schools. Searches and seizures of illegal drugs and dangerous weapons are also done in schools. SAPS identifies hot-spot areas and inform the provincial Education Departments of such areas, this enables the department to procure metal detectors for schools in those areas. 

3. Life Orientation Curriculum
The  Department continues to implement  the Life Skills and Life Orientation curriculum in classrooms, which is the main lever for preventing violence in schools amongst learners. The DBE implements this Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement annually and it covers the following violence related topics: bullying, drugs and substance abuse, gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy prevention.

4. Protocol For the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in Schools. 
The Department developed a Protocol for the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in schools which provides schools, districts and provinces with standard operating procedures/guidelines when addressing allegations of sexual abuse and harassment, and to specifically detail how schools must respond to reports of sexual abuse and harassment perpetrated against learners and school staff. It serves to ensure a safe, caring and enabling environment for learning and teaching, both inside and outside of the classroom. This protocol sets out an approach that enables educators and employees of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to identify, intervene, report and provide support to all learners who are sexually abused or harassed in school, whilst providing an appropriate response to perpetrators of all forms of sexual abuse and harassment. It has been printed,  distributed and mediated in the sector. 

Reply:

Part (1) There is no such policy or action in the Department to hold children back or force learners out of school for good results. 

Part (2): Causes of the rise in school dropout

The question states that there has been an increase in dropping out of school. On the contrary, the DBE’s analysis of trends in the sector indicates that dropout rates (however defined) have been steadily reducing over the years. The graph below shows completion rates for grade 7 (measured using 16-18-year olds), grade 9 (measured using 19-21-year olds), and grade 12 (measured using 22-25-year olds), all of which have clearly been increasing over time. It should be noted that the slight decrease in grade 9 and 12 completion rates in the graph for 2022 are not statistically significant and therefore should not be interpreted as evidence of a declining trend. The clear trend over time is positive.

During the 2020 and 2021 there were concerns about the potential impact of the pandemic-related disruptions on dropping out. But it is now clear that school participation actually improved during the pandemic (with the exception of young children where we saw a slight increase in delayed entry into school). 16-18-year-olds, in particular, had higher attendance rates than before, and the NSC examinations of 2020-2023 achieved all-time records for the numbers of candidates writing, the numbers of NSC passes, the numbers of Bachelor-level passes, and the pass rate.

It is therefore difficult to answer a question about how the department responded to an increase in dropout when in fact there has been no increase in dropping out.

Completion rates for grade 7,9  and 12 over time

 

Source: DBE analysis of STATS SA General Household Surveys, 2002-2022

Reply:

 (a)(i)(ii)

Province	Number of Vacancies
EAST CAPE	6 111
FREE STATE	1 117
GAUTENG	3 898
KWAZULU-NATAL	7 044
LIMPOPO	4 933
MPUMALANGA	1 931
NORTH CAPE	726
NORTH WEST	1 205
WESTERN CAPE	4 497
NATIONAL	31 462

 

(b) The filling of vacant posts at schools is an ongoing process to ensure that there is no class without a teacher for all grades. For Post Level One vacancies, schools are allowed to recruit at local level and immediately as the vacancy occurs and make temporary appointments. These appointments are then made permanent upon ensuring that the educator meets the requirements of the post. By law, a temporary appointment in a vacant substantive post must be made permanent after three months. In the case of promotional posts, schools are allowed to make acting appointments, especially for critical posts such as those of Departmental Head and Principal while the formal recruitment and selection process is undertaken. In addition, in order to address immediate workload challenges that result from vacant promotional posts, schools are allowed to appoint temporary educators against a vacant promotional post until the vacant promotion post is filled.

Reply:

1. Pregnant and Other Learners that have written the examination from Hospital

2020	85
2021	140
2022	150
2023	209

 

2. The Regulations Pertaining to the Conduct, Administration and Management of the National Senior Certificate Examinations makes provision for learners who are ill or confronted with any other circumstance beyond the candidate’s control, that prevents them from writing the examination, to be allowed to write the next examination.

a) (i) (ii) However, in exceptional cases, provision is also made for the writing of examinations in hospital. This is to accommodate girl learners who are pregnant or learners who are unwell and admitted to hospital, but are capable enough to write the examination. Such a learner and the parent will submit a formal request to the Head of Examinations in the province, to write the examination in hospital. The application must be submitted with a report from the medical practitioner attending to the learner, confirming that the learner is in a state of health to write the examination and that the learner cope with the stress of the examination 

b) Once the Head of Examinations has approved the writing of the examination in hospital, guidance and direction is provided by the Provincial Head Office on the protocol to be followed to manage the administration of the examination. An invigilator will be appointed, preferably from the district office to supervise the examination. The first step is for the district office, to liaise with the hospital where the candidate will be writing the examination to ensure that the venue is suitable for the examination, in terms of the criteria relating to an Examination venue. The most important is that the venue must be isolated from the other patients and security must be maintained. The invigilator will collect the question paper from the district office and follow the normal rules relating to the writing of an examination. The script will be collected and returned to the district office and included in the correct batch with the other scripts from the centre where the candidate was registered to sit for the examinations. The subsequent processes follow the normal process flow relating to the management of scripts.

c) Every effort is made to ensure that learners that request to write and examination in hospital are accommodated. No cases have been reported to the DBE relating to a Province neglecting to provide learners with the necessary question papers after the arrangements were finalized, with regard to writing the examination at a hospital. If there was such a case, this should be brought to the attention of the DBE and the matter will be fully investigated and remedial measures will be put in place and consequence management will be implemented if there has been a dereliction of duty.

Reply:

There are no such events planned nor is there a budget available for it. 

Reply:

The Department collects child support grants information as part of the biographical data of learners. However, it is self-reported and dependent on learners (or parents) providing the information. The data provided below are learners who are 18 year-old and indicated that they received social grants and still attending school for the period indicated. This includes ordinary and Special Education Needs (SEN) learners attending Public Ordinary, Special and Vocational Schools. Learners from Grade 9 are mainly attending Vocational and Special schools. 

Table 1: Number of 18 year-old learners that received child support grant in 2023

Reply:

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) collects child support grants information as part of the biographical data of learners.  However, it is self-reported and dependent on learners (or parents) providing the information. Currently the DBE is unable to provide a response in terms of dropout learners as the Department is still in a process of tracking learners who might have moved to other sectors (such as the Department of Higher Education and Training) as they are not considered as dropouts.  

The data provided below are learners who are 18 years and indicated that they received social grants and still attending school for the period indicated. This includes ordinary and Special Education Needs (SEN) learners attending Public Ordinary, Special and Vocational Schools. Learners from Grade 7 to 9 are mainly attending Vocational and Special schools. 

Table 1: Number of 18 year-old learners that received child support grant in 2022

Table 2: Number of 18 year-old learners that received child support grant in 2023

 

Reply:

(a) and (b)

The Department of Basic Education collects data of schools that incudes class data on learners and teaching staff. However, it should be noted that it is self-reported. The data used below includes teaching staff that are paid by the State and School Governing Bodies as well as ordinary and Special Education Needs learners that attends Public Ordinary, Special and Vocational Schools. 

The Department provided Learner Educator Ratio (LER) for primary and secondary rather than per grade due to low response rate in terms of educators indicating the grades that they are teaching. It is also to be noted that the teaching staff includes Principals and other School Management Team members that have reduced contact time and therefore lowers the LER.

Table 1: Learner Educator Ratio in primary and secondary schools, by province, in 2023.

Province	PRIMARY SCHOOL	SECONDARY SCHOOL
EC	29,0	32,5
FS	31,6	29,6
GT	31,9	29,0
KZN	30,4	31,2
LP	35,4	30,7
MP	33,2	30,4
NC	30,2	25,3
NW	32,3	29,7
WC	30,5	29,4
NAT	31,6	30,3

 

Reply:

The Department of Basic Education(DBE) signed a collaborative Implementation Protocol with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) on Learner Road Safety. Included in the programme is the roll-out of the Learner Driver Development Programme. The main focus of this protocol has been on the scholar patrol programme. The Learner Driver Development Programme  in which the DBE plays a supporting role has not officially started.  

Reply:

(1) The allocation of educator posts to schools  is regulated through the post provisioning norms. The main purpose of the norms is to ensure equity and redress in the distribution of available posts across provinces, taking into account, among other factors such as the number of learners; curriculum composition; size of the school; language medium; ideal maximum class size and the poverty level. The norms in the post provisioning norms are transferred into a post distribution model, which is then used to distribute posts in an equitable manner across all schools. The model applies an elaborate system of formulas which take into account all factors in the post provision norms. The copy of the post provisioning norms is attached for reference. 

(2) All provinces follow the same formula which is nationally regulated through the post provisioning norms.

(3) (a) (b) The Department does not, as part of its regular monitoring, collect vacancy information to the level of detail requested . The Honourable Member is, kindly, requested to direct this specific question to the Provincial Education Departments.

Reply:

(1) (2) (a) The question falls under the Executive Authority of the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Gauteng Province. The Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MEC for Education for Gauteng Province as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. 

Reply:

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) remains committed to the use of the National School Safety Framework (NSSF) as an effective and operative overarching framework to assist schools in identifying and managing safety issues, and to ensure that schools are safe and provide for inclusive environments for teaching and learning. 

At its core, issues of bullying remain the responsibility of the schools via their codes of conduct, which are outlined in the NSSF with the intention of preventing and managing incidents of misconduct within the school environment.  Learner codes of conduct are developed by schools, in consultation with the school governing bodies and learner representative councils.  The codes of conduct stipulate the rules of learner behaviour in schools, and the disciplinary procedures to be undertaken after incidents of contravention are reported; as well as the sanctions which are imposed against perpetrators who are found guilty.  This gives learners a sense of ownership over their school environment, and the safety of themselves and their fellow learners at school.  With support from the district and provincial education offices, schools are mandated to ensure that learners abide by their codes of conduct, and that incidents of bullying do not occur within the school.

This being said, the department takes incidents of bullying in all schools very seriously, and any and all measures are taken to ensure that these incidents are managed appropriately, and prevented as is pro ti ally possible.  In line with this, the Department of Basic Education is currently developing a national strategy to assist schools with preventing and managing cases of bullying, including cyber-bullying.  This strategy aims to address systemic causes of bullying to ensure that this social ill is eradicated from our schools, while also providing a practical guide for schools to deal with incidences of bullying on the ground.

Additionally, the DBE has partnered with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DC&DT) and other partners including Google, Films and Publications Board, Media Monitoring Africa and Meta, to design and implement an effective programme on online safety and cyber-bullying in schools across the country.

The Department is confident that these measures in combination, will provide schools with the support they need to keep learners and educators safe within their classrooms, and ensure that bullying is prevented in our schools.

Reply:

(1) (2) and (3) The question falls under the Executive Authority of the Members of the Executive Council (MECs) of the 9 Provincial Education Departments (PEDs). The Honourable Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MECs as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. 

Reply:

(a) (i) Please see attached

(b) (c) (d) The requested information resides with the provinces. The Honourable member is kindly requested to direct the question to the Members of the Executive Council (MECs). 

Reply:

The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, implemented as the Basic Education Employment Initiative across all provinces has had four (4) successful Phases, of which Phase IV concluded in September 2023.  As there is no phase currently active, there are no teaching assistants employed in the Basic Education Sector. 

Reply:

The Department has measures in place to deal with a principal or SGB that conducts theft, fraud or extortion that are linked to a school. Should there be a school(s) that is/are alleged to have been involved in such and not dealt with, the Department requests for names of such and the related allegation(s).

Reply:

Learners of parents who accepted placements as allocated by PEDs are in schools. Entry grades learners have been placed.

(a)(i) A majority of learners was placed during the school closing of 2023.  PEDs continued to place learners at the beginning of 2024 school year, especially those that were not part of the admitting province. (a)(ii)  The statistics of these learners are changing on a daily basis, as the learners get placed.  The actual data is managed by PEDs.

 (a)(iii)  Some learners followed their parents to areas that are economically viable.  Some parents refused placements, as they were not of their schools of choice, even though their schools of choice were full.

(b)(i)  Learners should be placed before the end of term. The DBE is monitoring progress closely and getting regular feedback from provinces.

Reply:

The DBE will work with PEDs to ensure the implementation of section 19 of SASA, which expects of the PEDs to have a programme to train SGBs.  Part of the training! will be on keeping schools safe for learners and teachers.

The DBE will ensure the implementation of section 18A of SASA, which expects of PEDs to have in place a Code of Conduct of the School Governing Body, aimed at establishing a disciplined and purposeful school environment, dedicated to the improvement and maintenance of a quality governance structure at a public school.

Furthermore, PEDs will be monitored that they have a programme to—

1. provide introductory training for newly elected governing bodies to enable them to perform their functions.  This training will include SGB roles and responsibilities and the importance of having a mission that is in line with the PED vision; and
2. provide continuing training to governing bodies to promote the effective performance of their functions or to enable them to assume additional functions. The training will amongst other areas cover policy development by SGBs.

The DBE will also support PEDs to take Representative Council of Learners to play a role in contributing to school safety and security.

Schools will be required to involve the parents in ensuring that schools are safe for learning and teaching.

Reply:

(a)  All provinces have established QLTC structures, with the exception of the Western Cape Province.  Functionality is informed by programmes that are implemented in each province.  The DBE has shared programmes for implementation through the Provincial QLTC structures and the District QLTC Structures.  

The challenge is that where QLTCs have not been established, they have not been incorporated as part of the SGBs.  The DBE is taking advantage of the 2024 SGB elections to re-establish and strengthen QLTCs; and ensure that they are both functional and have programmes in place.  The number of functional QLTC structures in each province is provided on teh table below.

(b)

NAME OF PROVINCE	NUMBER OF SCHOOLS WITH QLTC STRUCTURED	NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL QLTC STRUCTURES
Eastern Cape	5 283	2 030
Free State	1 026	718
Gauteng	2 400	326
KwaZulu-Natal	5 898	1 769
Limpopo	3 038	1 880
Mpumalanga	1607	769
North West	1 564	866
Northern Cape	289	104
Western Cape	0	0

Reply:

(a) What is the total number of inappropriate and unsafe ablution facilities?

1. In 2018, the Department of Basic Education launched the Sanitation Appropriate For Education (SAFE-2018) initiative. 
2. This programme initially identified 3 898 schools dependent on basic pit toilets.  Additional 809 were identified during the process of monitoring.
3. 867 schools did not proceed to implementation, after initial assessment, because they either had appropriate sanitation facilities, OR only needed maintenance; and therefore did not meet the SAFE criteria; OR were on Private land and could not be developed further; OR schools closed due to low learner enrolment.

(b) What progress has her department made in replacing such inappropriate and unsafe facilities?       

1. 3 379 schools proceeded to implementation, and 3 003 of these schools have been provided with appropriate sanitation.
2. DBE plans to complete the balance of the schools in the 2024/25 financial year due to National Treasury budget cuts during 2023/24 financial year. 

Reply:

There were no new vehicles purchased by the department for the Minister and Deputy Minister since 8 may 2019. The Deputy Minister vehicle was the last to be acquired on 13 December 2018, refer to the detail information below. 

 

What is the (a) make

        (i) Mrs AM Motshekga, MP Minister

1. BMW                                          
2. Mercedes Benz              

        (ii) Dr MR Mhaule MP Deputy Minister  

1. BMW                       
2. AUDI      

(b) Model

         (i) Mrs AM Motshekga, MP Minister

1. 535i                                                   
2. GLE 500                                             

(ii) Dr MR Mhaule MP Deputy Minister 

1. 530i                          
2. 3.0 Q7 TDI Quattro   

(c)  Year of Vehicle Manufacture                 

        (i) Mrs AM Motshekga, MP Minister

1. 2014          : BMW Sedan
2. 2016          : Mercedes-Benz

        (ii) Dr MR Mhaule MP Deputy Minister 

1. 2018          : BMW Sedan  
2. 2018          : AUDI Q7        

(d) Price              

       (i) Mrs AM Motshekga, MP Minister

1. BMW                      : R769,022.76                                     
2. Mercedes-Benz     : R849,900.00 

        (ii) Dr MR Mhaule MP Deputy Minister 

1. BMW                     : R833,488.41        
2. Audi                       : R1,015,702.05

(e) Vehicles purchase date     

       (i) Mrs AM Motshekga, MP Minister

1. BMW                     : 25 September 2014                                                 
2. Mercedes-Benz     : 26 October 2016                                                

        (ii) Dr MR Mhaule MP Deputy Minister 

1. BMW                     : 28 March 2018         
2. Audi                       :13 December 2018    

Reply:

(a)The Department of Basic Education (DBE) develops the National Catalogues, which list all Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSMs), and forward it to provinces for them to procure LTSMs for their respective schools.  These Catalogues are further uploaded on the DBE website.  Subsequently, the DBE develops a Sector plan for provinces to develop their aligned provincial management plans for procuring LTSMs for the ensuing year.  The Sector plan details the activities and timeframes to be observed when procuring LTSMs.  The Sector plan is attached as reference as to when provinces can start with the procurement processes.

(b) The provinces manage the entire logistics from ordering to delivery as per their management plans guided by the Sector plan.

Reply:

a) The Department of Basic Education developed the Framework for the teaching and learning of languages (2013) as a means to strengthen all languages so that they can be used as media of instruction particularly for foundational learning. The DBE successfully piloted Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education (MTBBE) in the Eastern Cape (EC) since 2012, where African languages  (IsiXhosa and Sesotho) were used as languages of teaching, learning and assessment (LoLTA) of Mathematics and Natural Science and Technology from Grades 4 in targeted Quintiles 1 – 3 schools.  The Department is now able to rollout MTBBE in the whole country, as a key finding of the National Rapid Assessment (2023) that the EC model is a reliable prototype.

b) On the 21 February 2024, on International Mother Language Day (IMLD), the Minister of Basic Education announced that in 2025, there will be a rollout in all provinces of the MTBBE strategy for Mathematics and Natural Science and Technology incrementally from Grade 4 in 2025, focusing on the nine previously marginalised official African languages (IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, IsiNdebele, Siswati, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Tshivenda and Xitsonga), to be used as languages of learning, teaching and assessment beyond Grade 3.  This is the space enjoyed currently by English and Afrikaans.  The rollout of the MTBBE is to ensure that the previously marginalised official African Languages enjoy the parity of esteem of all South African languages as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.  The MTBBE plan is being shared and presented to all the relevant stakeholders, it will be shared with Cabinet as well.

Reply:

To reduce dropping out before reaching Grade 12, the government's strategies are multi-pronged, focusing on mitigating poverty's effects and improving learning and teaching in the classroom. The following key initiatives contributed to past reductions in dropouts and are likely drivers of future improvements in this regard:

• The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). This intervention encourages children to attend school, and promotes learning by reducing levels of hunger and malnutrition, which inhibit successful learning.
• No fee schools. This longstanding intervention ensures that children and youths in poorer communities are not prevented from attending school due to the inability of the household to pay for school fees.
• Policies on teenage pregnancies. Government Notice 704 of 2021 formalised policy on the protection of the schooling of pregnant learners. Among females aged 16 to 18, around 10% did not attend school due to pregnancy, according to the 2019 GHS.
• Ongoing strengthening of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). A more focussed curriculum is one reason that has been put forward as a reason for past improvements in South Africa’s performance in international testing programmes – see the Department’s Action Plan to 2024.
• Efforts aimed at improving learning in the early grades. A key government priority is improving reading, and learning and teaching in general, in the early grades. Several interventions contribute towards this, including the shift in the responsibility for pre-schooling from the social development sector to basic education, the Early Grade Reading Study and associated teacher development innovations, and the introduction of the Systemic Evaluation.
• Special examination preparation support for Grade 12 learners. Activities here, aimed largely at ensuring that learners leave school with the NSC, include the so-called winter schools.
• The expansion of the learner-level enrolment and attendance monitoring systems. The Learner Unit Record Information and Tracking System (LURITS), the SA-SAMS school management system and the partnership-driven Data Driven Districts (DDD) initiative have all contributed to a more robust approach to monitoring exactly where in the country dropping out is occurring. These systems proved invaluable for providing information on, for instance, where children were not returning to school during the pandemic.

Reply:

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) will be fully funded, in line with the Conditional Grant Framework, which stipulates the minimum requirements of providing nutritious meals to learners in quintile 1 - 3 primary and secondary schools; as well as identified special schools on all school days.  This includes targeted learners in identified quintile 4 and 5 schools in line with available resources.

Reply:

Communities were and continue to be consulted in the North West. The consultation process took long to an extent that no school was merged or closed in 2023 pending the completion of the consultation process.

Reply:

The Department of Basic Education have a number of ongoing strategies and programmes to curb violence in schools, including the following:

1.    National School Safety Framework
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Provincial Education Departments continue to implement the National School Safety Framework (NSSF), which is a guiding framework in addressing all forms of violent incidences in schools including drug abuse. The NSSF empowers schools to identify and manage all safety threats in schools, establish school safety committees comprising of stakeholders such as teachers, police officers, school governing body members and learner representative council members. Furthermore, The NSSF also empowers schools to develop incident reporting mechanisms, establish collaborations with external stakeholders such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Social Development and civil society organisations, develop school safety plans and policies to respond to safety challenges of violence in schools for both learners and educators. Through the implementation of the NSSF, access control measures in schools are strengthened and awareness programmes on social ills by partner departments and civil society organisations are implemented in schools.

 By the end of December 2023, The following number of schools were physically trained on the NSSF: 1441 schools were trained in the North West, 3220 schools were trained in KZN, 229 schools were trained in Gauteng, 535 schools were trained in Northern Cape, 508 schools were trained in Mpumalanga, 1483 schools were trained in the Eastern Cape, 151 schools were trained in the Western Cape, 18 schools were trained in the Free State.

 The DBE together with its partner the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute further developed an NSSF digital training course for school communities, to enable access to the training anywhere in the country. The course has been accredited by the South African Council of Educators. As a result, educators will receive 15 Professional Development Points (PDP) for successfully completing the course. The DBE released a circular in September 2022, compelling all school based personnel and school safety committees to complete the digital training by 31 March 2023. To date, over 130 000 people have completed the course. 

2.    Partnership Protocol between the Department of Basic Education and the South African Police Service 
The Department also has an established Protocol with SAPS to address crime and violence in schools. The Protocol has enabled all schools to be linked to their local police stations, SAPS to conduct searches and seizures in schools and conduct crime awareness campaigns in schools. Regularly, schools work with SAPS and local community police forums and social workers to address violent incidents such as gangsterism, bullying, drug abuse and the carrying of dangerous weapons in schools. Searches and seizures of illegal drugs and dangerous weapons are also done in schools. However, these searches and seizures are only done if there is reasonable suspicion of violence in the school. 

3.    District Monitoring of School Safety Programmes
The Department further conducts annual monitoring of districts on the implementation of school safety programmes including the NSSF, the DBE and SAPS Protocol and the Prevention and Management of Bullying in Schools. In the monitoring sessions, the Department always encourages districts to conduct physical monitoring in schools, in order to determine if schools are implementing the above-mentioned school safety programmes and provide the necessary support. In the financial year of 2023-24: the Department has monitored 25 districts across nine provinces on all school safety programmes including bullying prevention in schools.

4.    Protocol to deal with Incidents of Corporal Punishment  
The Department developed and published a Protocol to Deal with Incidences of Corporal Punishment in schools to highlight the abolishment of corporal punishment in schools and to provide provinces, districts and schools with guidance on how to deal with issues of corporal punishment should such cases arise. The protocol foregrounds the following:
•   The steps to be taken by provincial, district, circuit and school SMT in reporting the incidents of corporal punishment in schools.
•   The complaints procedures are outlined and the measures to be taken at every level of the system are explicit and include the labour relations processes in response to perpetrators of corporal punishment as well as sexual abuse and harassment.
•   In line with the NSSF, the Protocol further supports schools in ensuring safe and supportive learning environments that use protective behaviour, positive discipline, restorative justice and positive behaviour intervention support systems.

The Protocol has been printed and distributed to provinces, districts and schools across the country. In complementing the Protocol, some Provincial Educational Department have trained schools on Alternatives to Corporal Punishment in schools. 

5.    Inter-Departmental Campaign on the prevention of Violence, Bullying, Corporal Punishment, Gender-Based Violence, Learner Pregnancy, Drugs and Substance Abuse
The Department and its partner Departments: Social Development, Health, Justice and Constitutional Development, Correctional Services, the South African Police Service, Home Affairs, The Presidency and the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies have also embarked on an Inter-Departmental Campaign on Violence Prevention. This Campaign raises awareness on issues such as the prevention of bullying, corporal punishment, gender-based violence, learner pregnancy and drugs and substance abuse in schools. The Campaign has been championed by the Deputy Minister of Basic Education and is supported by other Deputy Ministers from the partner Departments. The Campaign has been targeting districts with high levels of crime and violence known as hot spots. The Campaign mobilizes school communities (educators, learners, School Governing Bodies, ward councillors, parents and civil society organisations) to fight crime and violence in schools, collectively. In addition, the Campaign further includes build up events that take groups of learners through priority content areas related to violence prevention; including prevention of bullying, corporal punishment, gender-based violence, drugs and substance abuse.

To date, the Campaign has been rolled out in six provinces: Gauteng (Gauteng West District), Limpopo (Sekhukhune East District), Mpumalanga (Nkangala District), North-West (Dr Kenneth Kaunda District), Eastern Cape (Nelson Mandela) and Kwa Zulu-Natal (Pinetown District). The Department further plans to roll out the Campaign in other provinces in new financial year. The community activations include aawareness raising of the steps to take as illustrated in the Protocol for the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in Schools.

Moreover, provincial education departments in partnership with partner departments and various civil society organisations regularly conduct awareness campaigns on social ills negatively impacting schools through school assembly talks, dialogues and debates.  

6.    School Codes of Conducts 
The Department requires all schools to develop learner codes of conduct in consultation with the school governing bodies and learner representative councils. The codes of conducts stipulate the rules of learner behaviour in schools and the disciplinary procedures to be undertaken after incidents of contravention are reported, and sanctions which will be undertaken against the perpetrators who are found guilty. This gives learners a sense of ownership over their school environment, and the safety of themselves and their fellow learners at school. 

7.    The National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use Amongst Learners in Schools. 
The DBE and Provincial Education Departments continue to implement the National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use Amongst Learners in Schools which aims to create an enabling environment for those learners who have become addicted to alcohol and drugs to access treatment, care and support services. Through the strategy, schools are empowered to conduct drug testing, and manage learners who have tested positive accordingly. By the end of 2023; the North-West has trained 1332 schools on drug testing, while the Western Cape trained 46 schools on drug testing. Creating drug-free school environments is a key component to providing learners with a safe learning environment free of violence. 

8.    The Prevention and Management of Bullying in schools

The Provincial Education Departments have continued to train schools on the Prevention and Management of Bullying in schools. The schools have been empowered to identify various forms of bullying, identify perpetrators and victims of bullying, develop reporting mechanisms of bullying in schools and develop anti-bullying policies which are aligned to code of conducts. By the end of 2023, at least 1441 schools were trained in the North-West.  

9.    Life Orientation Curriculum
The  Department continues to implement  the Life Skills and Life Orientation curriculum in classrooms, which is the main lever for preventing violence in schools amongst learners. The DBE implements this Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement annually and it covers the following violence related topics: bullying, drugs and substance abuse, gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy prevention.

10.    Online Safety and Cyberbullying Programme 
The Department of Basic Education partnered with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DC&DT) and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and conducted awareness sessions on cyber-safety and cyberbullying in schools. The awareness sessions took place in Harry Gwala District on 23-24 November 2023 in the following schools: 

a)    Ebuta Junior Secondary School
b)    Umzimkuku Junior Secondary School
c)    DRC Junior Secondary School
d)    Stranger’s Rest Junior Secondary School
 

A total of 132 learners were reached throughout the awareness sessions. The Department will continue to work with DC&DT and other partners including Google, Films and Publications Board, Media Monitoring Africa and Meta in implementing an effective programme on online safety and cyberbullying in schools across the country.

11.    Protocol For the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in schools. 
The Department developed a Protocol for the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in schools which provides schools, districts and provinces with standard operating procedures/guidelines when addressing allegations of sexual abuse and harassment, and to specifically detail how schools must respond to reports of sexual abuse and harassment perpetrated against learners & school staff. It serves to ensure a safe, caring and enabling environment for learning and teaching, both inside and outside of the classroom. 

This protocol sets out an approach that enables educators and employees of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to identify, intervene, report and provide support to all learners who are sexually abused or harassed in school, whilst providing an appropriate response to perpetrators of all forms of sexual abuse and harassment. It has been printed and distributed to provinces. 

Reply:

(1)The consultations happened over a period of the last two years with 15 platforms of engagement that are coordinated by 15 different Secretariates, internally and externally. 

(2) The requested information will be collated and made available to the Honourable Member as soon as possible. 

Reply:

1. National School Safety Framework

The Department in collaboration with Provincial Education Departments, has continued to train schools on the implementation of the National School Safety Framework (NSSF) which is a guiding framework in addressing all forms of violent incidences in schools including bullying. The NSSF empowers schools to identify and manage all safety threats in schools, establish school safety committees comprising of stakeholders such as teachers, police officers, school governing body members and learner representative council members. By the end of December 2023, The following number of schools were physically trained on the NSSF: 1441 schools were trained in the North West, 3220 schools were trained in KZN, 229 schools were trained in Gauteng, 535 schools were trained in Northern Cape, 508 schools were trained in Mpumalanga, 1483 schools were trained in the Eastern Cape, 151 schools were trained in the Western Cape, 18 schools were trained in the Free  State.

The Department in collaboration with the Wits RHI has also developed and rolled out the NSSF digital training course. This course has received SACE Accreditation and a circular was released to all provinces, districts and schools to complete the training. To date, over 130 000 people nationwide competed the training.

2. The Prevention and Management of Bullying in schools

The Provincial Education Departments have continued to train schools on the Prevention and Management of Bullying in schools. The schools have been empowered to identify various forms of bullying, identify perpetrators and victims of bullying, develop reporting mechanisms of bullying in schools and develop anti-bullying policies which are aligned to Codes of conduct. By the end of 2023, at least 1441 schools participated in the training in the North-West.  

Moreover, the Department also requires schools to develop and implement anti-bullying policies, in line with the schools' codes of conduct. The Codes of conduct are developed by the School Governing Bodies and adopted by learners and parents of the schools. They further highlight the disciplinary procedures to be undertaken after incidents are reported and sanctions which will be undertaken against the perpetrators who are found guilty.  The Department is also in the process of developing a new Bullying Prevention Strategy which will guide the sector on how to deal with bullying in schools holistically. 

3. District Monitoring of School Safety Programmes

In the financial year of 2023-24, the Department has monitored 25 districts across nine provinces on all school safety programmes including bullying prevention in schools. Through the monitoring sessions, the Department encouraged districts to regularly monitor schools on the implementation of codes of conduct and collaborate with various key partners such as the Department of Social Development, Childline and civil society organisations, and parents to address the scourge of bullying in schools.  

4. Learner Support Agents (LSA) 

Through the HIV and AIDS Conditional Grant, the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Global fund support, Learner Support Agents (LSAs) are placed in schools to provide support to vulnerable learners, link learners to health and other social welfare services and ensure that care and support activities function better in schools.

LSAs play a crucial role in providing capacity to existing structural arrangements in schools that aim to ensure the school environment remains inclusive, with particular attention paid to vulnerable learners. They are a key liaison between the school and external partners, including other government departments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private partners who provide care and support to vulnerable learners and their families. 3947 Schools have LSAs placed, with 323 Child and Youth Care Workers also allocated to schools to support bullying and mental health and psychosocial support programmes.

5. Suicide Prevention and Mental Health

A School information pack for Principals, Educators, School Support teams and leaners was developed and disseminated to raise awareness on risks, warning signs and support for teenage suicide during the Teenage Suicide Prevention week which ran from 11 – 18 February 2024. The information pack included: A poster, pamphlets, a video and social media posts.

The Department is in the process of putting together a suicide prevention school kit. The school kit will capacitate schools to assess their ability to prevent suicide among students and respond to suicides that may occur, understand strategies that can help students who are at risk for suicide, understand how to respond to the suicide of a student or other member of the school community, identify suicide prevention programmes and activities that are effective for individual schools and respond to the needs  of each  students. The kit will be rolled out in September 2024.

Reply:

(1) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has the responsibility to develop the National Catalogue which lists all Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) and from which Provinces have to procure for their  respective schools. Subsequently, the DBE develops a sector plan which is a guide for provinces to develop their aligned provincial management plans for procuring learning materials for the ensuing year. The Sector plan details the procurement activities and timeframes to be observed when procuring any learning material. The Sector plan is attached as reference, as to when provinces can start with the procurement processes.

(2) The procedure is that Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) receive their budget allocations from their respective Provincial Treasuries to carry out their activities, amongst which is the buying and distribution of textbooks relative to the number of enrolled learners per school (see attachment). The detailed information regarding receipt and amount of budgets / allocations received, can be requested from the Provincial  Education Departments. The Honourable Member is kindly advised to source the details from the Province(s) concerned.

Reply:

None 

Reply:

(1) (2) (a) The question falls under the Executive Authority of the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Kwa Zulu Natal. The Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MEC for Kwa Zulu Natal as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. 

Reply:

 

The policy has been tabled with Parliament in December 2023. 

Reply:

The question falls under the Executive Authority of the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Kwa Zulu Natal. The Hon Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MEC for Kwa Zulu Natal as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules.