1. PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEETING 14 March 2017
PROGRESS REPORT ON RURAL EDUCATION
PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEETING 14 March 2017

2. Presentation Outline Purpose Background Rural Education Landscape
Support to Rural Schools
- Professional Teacher Development
- eLearning
- Learning and Teaching Support Material
Teacher Recruitment Strategies and Incentives
Rural Education Policy
Rural Education Collaborations
Plans for 2017
Conclusion

3. Purpose
The purpose is to present to the Portfolio Committee the progress report on rural education.

4. Background
The National Development Plan (NDP) states that South Africa needs to reduce poverty and inequality by broadening opportunity and employment through economic inclusion, education and skills, and specific redress measures.
In line with the mandates of the NDP, the Department of Basic Education has committed to improving the quality of rural education through undertaking several initiatives aimed at promoting access, equity and strengthening support to rural schools.

5. Rural Education Landscape

6. Rural Schools in South Africa
Province
Number of Public Schools
Number of Rural Schools
Percentage of Rural Schools
Eastern Cape
5 469
1 832
33%
Free State
1 214
480
40%
Gauteng
2 083
155 7%
KwaZulu-Natal
5 895
4 040
69%
Limpopo
3 867
3 342
86%
Mpumalanga
1 725
317
18%
North West
545
180
Northern Cape
1471
387
26%
Western Cape
1 450
519
36%
TOTAL
23 719
11 252
47%
Source: 2016 School Realities

7. Rural Schools in South Africa

8. Number of Multi-grade Teaching Schools
Province
Number of Public Schools
Number of Multi-grade Teaching Schools
(Learners ≤ 135)
Percentage of Multi-grade Teaching Schools Schools
Eastern Cape
5 469
1 307
28%
Free State
1 214
382
40%
Gauteng
2 083 8 1%
Kwazulu-Natal
5 895
784
18%
Limpopo
3 867
383
15%
Mpumalanga
1 725
181
14%
Northern Cape
545
118
27%
North West
1471
185
Western Cape
1 450
178
16%
Total
23 719
3 526
20%
Sourced: 2016 School Realities

9. Multi-grade Teaching Schools
Sourced:2016 School Realities

10. Number of Learners in Multi-grade Teaching Schools
Province
Number of Learners in Primary Schools
Learners in Multi-grade Teaching Schools
Percentage of Learners in Multi-grade Teaching Schools
Eastern Cape 9%
Free State
11 691 3%
Gauteng
739 0%
Kwazulu-Natal
63 298 4%
Limpopo
31 953
Mpumalanga
13 717 2%
Northern Cape
9 351 5%
North West
13 849
Western Cape
12 075
Total
Sourced:2015 School Realities

11. Learners in Multi-grade Teaching Schools
Sourced:2016 School Realities

12. Support to Rural Schools

13. Professional Teacher Development

14. Professional Teacher Development
Continuing professional teacher development focusing on:
Training on multi-grade Teaching;
Training on the Multi-grade Toolkit; and
Training on School-based Assessment.

15. Training on Multi-grade Teaching
Focus of Multi-grade Teaching
Introduction to MGT
Classroom Management
Time-tabling and Classroom organization
Lesson management
Dealing with Diversity
ICT use in Multi-grade Classes
Teaching and cooperative learning strategies
Utilisation of the multi-grade Toolkit

16. Training on the Multi-grade Toolkit
Introduction to the Multi-grade Toolkit;
Purpose of the multi-grade Toolkit;
Components of the Multi-grade Toolkit in each subject;
The use of the Multi-grade Annual Teaching plans (MATP);
Development of lesson plans based on the MATP;
The lesson plans in each subject and their use; and
Assessment Tasks and worksheets in the Multi-grade Toolkit.

17. Training on School Based Assessment
Managing assessment in multi-grade classes;
Ideas on integrated assessment in multi-grade classes; and
Assessment Tasks in the Multi-grade Toolkit.

18. Teachers and Subject Advisors Supported
Province
No. of Subject Advisors
Phase /Subjects
Number of Teachers EC 99
Foundation, intermediate and senior phases in all General Education and Training subjects.
27 (Including 7 principals) FS 67
135 GP 45 15
Still to be trained
KZN
270
261 LP 33 60 MP
252
268 NC 74 NW
642
 WC
 Still to be trained
TOTAL
1042
1258

19. eLearning Support

20. Data on Schools in Rural Areas Supported Through eLearning (PHASE 1)
Province
Number of Rural Schools
Number of Rural Schools Supported with
% of Schools Supported
ICT Hardware Trolley
Connectivity
Digital Content
Eastern Cape
1 462 92 6%
Free State
387 4 1%
Gauteng 9 0%
KwaZulu Natal
951
147
15%
Limpopo
617
119
19%
Mpumalanga
193
Northern Cape
127 39
31%
North West
204 1
Western Cape
179 15 8%
Total
4 129
417
10%

21. Hardware Devices and Connectivity
Each of the 417 rural schools was provided with a trolley through the Universal Services Access Obligation (USAO).
Each trolley had the following:
24 Tablets;
One Data Projector;
One Printer;
3 Laptops for Teachers; and
A server with pre loaded content for Grade R, GET and FET bands.
Internet was provided through a Wireless Access Point.

22. Digital Content for Grade R, GET and FET Bands
The server provided to rural schools consisted of digital content on the following:
Grade R Resource Pack
Audio-visual teacher support videos;
Grade R lesson plans; and
Grade R teachers’ guide.
GET Band
State owned textbooks;
Workbooks; and
Video lessons.
FET Band
Maths video lessons; and
Study Guides e.g. Mind the Gap.

23. Percentage of Schools Supported Through eLearning (PHASE 1)

24. Learning and Teaching Support Material

25. Provision of Workbooks
Grade R Workbooks;
Home Language (Gr. 1-6) in 11 languages;
Mathematics (Gr. 1-3) in 11 languages;
Mathematics (Gr. 4-9) English and
Afrikaans;
Life Skills (Gr 1-3) in 11 languages; and
English First Additional Language (Gr. 1-6).

26. Workbooks Provided to Rural Primary and Secondary Schools
Province
No of Schools
Grade R
Grade 1 to 9
2016
2017
Eastern Cape
1 832
Free State
735
3 520
4 040
98 515
Gauteng
154
46 320
49 780
KwaZulu Natal
4 038
Limpopo
3 342
Mpumalanga
317
36 060
58 000
Northern Cape
180
23 800
25 700
North West 30
6 120
5 360
76 240
68 710
Western Cape
619
90 020
89 040
Total
11 247

27. TEACHER RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES AND INCENTIVES

28. Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme
Background
The Funza Lushaka bursary programme was established in 2007 with the broad departmental goal of meeting the supply and demand needs for high quality teachers.
The Basic Education Sector introduced in 2012 a District-Based Teacher Recruitment Campaign and in 2013 a Community-Based Teacher Recruitment Campaign that target learners coming from rural and poor communities to assist them to access the bursary and to attract well qualified teachers to teach in rural areas.

29. Distribution of Bursaries
Ring-fenced Bursaries
2 000 Funza Lushaka bursaries have been ring-fenced for the Teacher Recruitment Campaign.
Targeted Allocations
Bursaries available for allocation to applicants from quintile 1-3 schools, fee-exempted learners at quintile 4-5 schools and disadvantaged communities in provinces.
The bursary allocation per province is based on the number of quintile 1-3 schools in a province.

30. ALLOCATION OF BURSARIES PER PROVINCE
TOTAL NO OF
QUINTILE 1-3 SCHOOLS
NO OF BURSARIES ALLOCATED
Eastern Cape
4870
488
Free State
1331
134
Gauteng
1048
106
KwaZulu-Natal
4760
478
Limpopo
3777
378
Mpumalanga
1424
142
Northern Cape
485 48
North West
1599
160
Western Cape
653 66

31. Coordination
The Programme is rolled out in close collaboration with PEDs, districts, local communities, schools, SGBs and HEIs as key stakeholders in the Programme.
Role of PEDs: To lead and manage the process to ensure co-ordination and consistency within a province.
Role of the DBE: To provide strategic guidance and is responsible for monitoring and supporting the implementation of the project in the country.
Role of the Provincial Teacher Education Development Committee (PTEDC): To strengthen coordination.

32. The Implementation Approach
Phase 1 – Determining the demand for certain areas of teaching specialisation.
Phase 2 – Recruitment, identification and screening of young people, both in and out of school, to be recruited into the teaching profession. As well as Selection.
Phase 3 – Enrolment at University and signing of the Bursary Agreement.
Phase 4 – Monitoring and support for Funza Lushaka bursary holders at Universities.
Phase 5 – Placement of Funza Lushaka bursary holders at schools.
Potential candidates must be assisted to apply for the Funza Lushaka bursary online at or Hard copy applications for the Funza Lushaka bursary will NOT be accepted.

33. Number of Registered District-based Recruits since 2013

34. Number of Registered District-based Recruits per Province
According to available statistics, 836 district recruited students were able to register at the HEIs.

35. 2017 Management Plan Activity Time Frame Responsibility
Identify number of educators retiring in an academic year through PERSAL.
Profile posts that will be vacated.
31 January 2017
PEDs
Submit five year projections of teacher requirements by District, by School, by Phase and by Subject.
Submit district and community based recruitment management plans.
08 February 2017
Advocacy and Briefing Sessions.
05 April – 31 May 2017
PEDs/HEIs
Application to universities.
April – July 2017
Schools, Districts & Recruiters
Submits documents of applicants to PED.
1-12 August 2017
Districts & Recruiters
Funza Lushaka online applications
1-31 October 2017
Selection Meetings
September – October 2017
DBE/PEDs/HEIs
Issue promissory letters for Post Matrics
November 2017
DBE
Issue promissory letters for Grade 12 learners
January 2018
Communication with selected students
December 2017 – January 2018
Support registration of students at HEIs
January – February 2018

36. Teacher Incentives
The policy on incentives for educators was declared in December 2007 and published in the Government Gazette No
The main aim of the policy is to assist schools to attract and retain teachers in areas of need.
Since its inception the policy has been implemented rather inconsistently across the nine Provincial Education Departments (PEDs).
Reasons for lack of and/or delays in implementation included:
financial constraints; and
delays in reaching consensus on the criteria for identifying post for incentives within the provincial bargaining chambers.

37. Progress on Implementation
Table 1 below shows the type of incentive and the number of educators that received an incentive payment as at the end of March 2016 per province.
Six (6) provinces were implementing the remoteness incentives; and
two (2) provinces i.e. Gauteng and North West are not implementing the policy at all due to financial constraints.
PROVINCE
TYPE OF INCENTIVE
NUMBER OF Educators paid
EASTERN CAPE
REMOTENESS
6 280
FREE STATE
686
KWAZULU-NATAL
3 012
LIMPOPO PROVINCE
6 425
MPUMALANGA
SCARCE SKILLS
249
NORTHERN CAPE
2 310
WESTERN CAPE
1 092
TOTAL
20 054

38. RURAL EDUCATION POLICY

39. Objectives of the Policy
The DBE is in the process of developing a Rural Education Policy that will assist the sector in:
Giving direction in what the sector should advocate and promote in pursuit of closing the disparities between rural schools and urban schools and within rural schools;
Giving guidance to the development of context-specific, relevant and sustainable strategies to deal with the monumental challenges in rural schools; and
Providing a framework for improving the quality of education in rural schools that will allow for meaningful strategies and pragmatic intervention to improve the quality of education in these schools.

40. Rural Education Research Team
In March 2016 the Minister appointed a Rural Education Research Team to assist with the development of the RE Policy. The Team consist of:
Core Research Team
6 x Rural Education Specialists
Reference Team
9 x Provincial Officials
5 x Unions
1 x NGO
Secretariat
3 x DBE officials

41. Approach and Terms of Reference
The Research Team used a substantiated knowledge, consultative and research based approach to the development of the Policy which included:
Research and engagements with rural communities;
Submissions and consultation with key stakeholders;
Review of education policies in South Africa;
Review of national and international literature, research, documents and policies on rural education;
To submit drafts of the report of the recommendations; and
To compile a final edited report on the recommendations.

42. Policy Development Process
Desktop Research
Core Research Team (May - September 2016)
Core Research Meetings
03-04 May 2016
31 August 2016
Reference Team Meetings
14 June 2016
15 August 2016
Provincial Consultation Meetings
[traditional and community leaders, parents, teachers and learners.]
Eastern Cape: July 2016
KwaZulu-Natal: July 2016
Limpopo: July 2016

43. Policy Development Process cont.
Consultative Forum
20 September 2016
Participants: DBE, PEDs, DAFF. DRDLR, DHS, DT, DHET, CSIR, REAP, TECHRUS, BMW, SOMERSET & CIE
Bilateral Meetings with Unions
DBE Offices, Pretoria
11 October 2016
Participants: DBE,NAPTOSA, PEU, SAOU & NATU
01 November 2016
Participants: DBE,SADTU & PEU
Submissions
10 sent to stakeholders
Minister’s Meeting
Presentation of Preliminary Recommendations: 20 January 2017

44. RURAL EDUCATION COLLABORATIONS

45. Multi-disciplinary Rural Education Committee (MREC)
Composition:
MREC members consist of representatives from different Directorates within the DBE who were officially appointed to serve in the committee.
Roles and responsibilities include:
To coordinate, monitor and report on the implementation of programs aimed at supporting rural schools;
To provide strategic direction to the Rural Education Issues;
To contribute towards the development of the sector guidelines, strategies, legislation and policies for rural education;
To provide general oversight of the status of rural schools; and
To assist in solving particular issues that may arise and that may require the intervention of the committee.

46. Agri Task Team Composition:
The Task Team is comprised of GET and MST subject specialists from the DBE.
Roles and responsibilities include:
To advise on the establishment of a Self-Sufficient Agricultural Model School;
To conduct a critical analysis of the current Agriculture curriculum;
To review national and international models and practices in Agricultural Education;
To undertake consultation and engagements with key stakeholders and role-players; and
To develop a draft of the report on the findings recommendations.

47. Inter-provincial Rural Education Committee (IPREC)
Composition
IPREC members consist of:
Representatives from PEDs;
Officials from the DBE; and
Representatives from Teacher Unions.
Roles and responsibilities include:
To make recommendations for the provision of quality education in rural schools;
To facilitate and assist in providing support in planning and implementation of the on-going work and the efforts of DBE in rural school improvement;
To coordinate, monitor and report on the strategies for improving the quality of education in rural schools;
To empower provincial and district officials to lead the mission of advancing education in rural areas; and
To ensure ongoing communication and consultation between and among relevant stakeholders and sectors.

48. Inter- and Ultra Departmental Collaborations
The DBE has partnered with various stakeholders in its quest to support rural schools to provide quality education:
The Department of Science and Technology on the HySA Alternative Energy Project;
The Departments of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Rural Development and Land Reforms on the establishment of a Self-sufficient Agriculture Model School;
BMW Groups on a project for the establishment of a BMW Academy of Excellence; and
The British Council on the Learn English Audio Project.

49. Details on IPREC and MREC Meetings
Structure
Number of Meetings Held in 2016
Date of Meetings Held in 2016
Number of Meetings Planned in 2017
Dates of Meetings planned in 207
IPREC 3
Mar 2016 4
Mar 2017
Jun 2016
May 2017
Dec 2016
Sept 2017
Dec 2017
MREC
5 May 2016
28 Mar 2017
26 May 2016
31 May 2017
10 Jun 2016
13 July 2017
29 Nov 2017
ACTIVITY
RESPONSIBILITY
TIMELINE

50. PLANS FOR 2017

51. Rural Education 2017 Plans ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY TIMELINE ACTIVITY
TIMELINES
MULTI-GRADE PROJECTS
Printing and distribution of the Multi-grade Toolkit
DBE
January - March 2017
2) Convene a seminar on Multi-grade Teaching
July 2017
3) Finalise an Integrated Strategy for Small Schools
April July 2018
4) Monitor the Implementation of the Multi-grade Toolkit
DBE/PEDs
April March 2018
RURAL EDUCATION POLICY
Presentation of the Draft Framework on the Rural Education Policy to the Minister
Research Team
January 2017
2) Finalise and Submit the final draft of the recommendations to the Minister
January – March 2017
3) Coordinate an advocacy campaign on the Rural Education Policy 
ACTIVITY
RESPONSIBILITY
TIMELINE

52. Rural Education 2017 Plans cont.
ACTIVITY
RESPONSIBILITY
TIMELINES
3) Monitor the Implementation of the Rural Education Policy
DBE/PEDs
Jan – Oct 2018
4) Develop strategies and programmes to support rural schools
DBE
April March 2019
BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF RURAL SCHOOLS
Conduct baseline assessment of rural schools
April March 2018
SELF-SUFFICIENT AGRICULTURE MODEL SCHOOLS
Establishment of a Self-sufficient Agriculture Model School
AUDITING OF RURAL SCHOOLS
1) Development of an Application
 DBE
Jan-April 2017
2) Conduct an Auditing of rural schools using the app
ACTIVITY
RESPONSIBILITY
TIMELINE

53. CONCLUSION
The development of Strategies to Support Rural Schools and the Policy on Rural Education will ensure that there are dedicated programs and initiatives which will improve the quality of education and subsequently learning outcomes in these schools.

54. RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Portfolio Committee notes and discusses the progress report on rural education.