Reflections on rural education in South Africa

1
Reflections on rural education in South Africa

• MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
• SOUTH AFRICA

2
Background

• Rural occupation in South Africa directly linked
  to apartheid and colonial policies of
  dispossession, resettlement and systematic
  exclusion from opportunities to improve self
• Lot of rural African/Black communities therefore
  linked not only to personal poverty but also to
  condition of land and what you can use it for, a
  direct legacy of above policies.
• Constitute 40 of total population (2001 Census)
  mainly very young, the old and women.

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Key issues influencing rural education

• Poverty The key most consistent feature in rural
  communities more critical for African females
  and worse in some provinces. Food security and
  cost of education major limiting factors
• High illiteracy levels Ability of community as a
  collective to create an environment supportive to
  educational activity.
• Continued under-resourcing of schools relative
  to need work of government underpinned largely
  by commitment to equal and fair treatment
  unfortunately resulting in little real change for
  rural schools still challenges in basics such
  as water and sanitation as well as electricity.

4
Key issues influencing rural education

• Key personnel for management, governance and
  delivery of education EMIS data and related
  audits continue to show a shortage of qualified
  and highly skilled personnel to deliver on the
  outcomes-based curriculum introduced by
  democratic government and to take complete
  ownership of governance and management of schools
  as expected. Major exodus of skilled personnel
  from rural areas.
• Health and well-being of communities HIV and
  AIDS and other health concerns more of a concern
  in rural areas. Recent Education Labour Relations
  Council study on HIV prevalence shows rural
  educators having a higher HIV prevalence rate
  worse for female educators.

5
Government Initiatives

• Since 1994 there has been remarkable progress
  overall in access, funding and equity in the
  schooling system
• Net enrolment rates have improved, funding per
  learner has increased in real terms, and the
  schooling system is vastly more equitable in 2005
  than it was in 1994.

6
Government Initiatives

• With the introduction of new School Funding norms
  in 2002, a pro-poor funding strategy was put in
  place for non-personnel and non- capital
  expenditure and in 2003 to inform
  post-provisioning norms, with poorer schools
  entitled to more educators for same number of
  learners
• School nutrition for schools serving the poorest
  communities introduced in 1995 currently
  serving 5 million learners in 16 000 schools
  linked to development of local economy and job
  creation particularly for women, youth and the
  disabled.
• Exemption from fees for the poorest learners on
  application
• Ministerial Committee on rural education key
  recommendations for strengthening focus on the
  sector.

7
Strengthening since Ministerial Committee

• Special focus on rural education for unique
  dedicated intervention without providing
  fundamentally different education that may
  ghetto-ise education for rural communities.
• Approval and funding by Cabinet for two
  fundamental shifts declaration of no fee schools
  for poorest two quintiles and QIDSUP (Quality
  Education Development and Uplifment programme)
  for massive injection of support and resources to
  rural school, linked to school development plans
  and strengthened monitoring
• Increased accountability (linked to incentives
  and sanctions) at all levels of the system
  particularly at district level
• Insertion of education improvement plans to
  Integrated Development Plans of local governments
  integrated interventions primarily within the
  social sector and with Local Government

8
Strengthening since Ministerial Committee

• Re-establishing schools as centers of community
  life and opening them up for use for broader
  community activities (including food production
  initiatives)
• Focus on Vulnerable Learners beyond their time at
  schools Health and Wellness inter-departmental
  committee involving Department of Health and
  Social Development established
• Rural Education Forum being established, to
  include Nelson Mandela Foundation.

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Conclusion

• Eleven years after democracy, equity for the
  millions of the rural poor still a major
  challenge for the SA government (some have
  called it an illusion! and the legacy of
  deprivation remains immense) however
• Understanding of challenge by government and the
  commitment to deal with it undoubtable
• Need to truly listen to the voice of poor rural
  communities and deal with the problem without
  creating two countries in one.