1. Learner Transport
An analysis of learner transport provision in KZN: A case for a conditional grant

2. Outline Background on EE Learner transport provision in KZN
Expenditure Trend
Data Analysis
EE Advocacy
Learner transport court case
Proposed Solution
Conditional grant

3. Background
Equal Education is a membership-based, democratic movement of learners, parents, teachers, and community members.
EE’s core objective is working to achieve quality and equality in South African education.
In order to achieve its objectives, EE conducts a broad range of activities, which include campaigns grounded in detailed research and policy analysis that is supported by public action and mobilisation, and where necessary legal action.
The movement is driven primarily by its learner members in high schools across five provinces: the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, KwaZulu- Natal, the Western Cape, and Gauteng.

4. Background
Since 2014, EE has been advocating for the provision of learner transport to all learners who qualify
Equalisers in Nquthu, in northern KZN, identified lack of learner transport as a barrier to accessing quality education
Although our campaign began in Nquthu, the issue is a country-wide one
Year after year, the lack of scholar transport has affected learners, particularly in rural areas

5. Learner Transport Provision in KZN
2007
KZN DoE identified a need to deliver learner transport to small rural and farm schools
Department pilots subsidy for 3 Durban metropolitan districts
Project manager appointed to assist in preliminary data collection
Pilot is a success
2008
DoE allocated funds for learner transport
Two issues remained unresolved
1. The policy 2. The placement of learner transport

6. Learner Transport Provision in KZN
2009 – 2013
Learner transport became a feature on the KZN DoE budget (Vote 5)
Learner transport, located as a sub-programme of the education budget under Programme 2: Public Ordinary Schools
DoT realised it had an obligation to assist with the provision of learner transport, the functions of each department were separated as follows:
DoE: verification of learner numbers and planning
DoT: route planning and management of operators

7. Learner Transport Provision in KZN
2014
Shift of learner transport from KZN DoE to KZN DoT resulted in its suspension from the education budget
The KZN DoE felt the provisioning of learner transport ought to be determined at various districts, given distances travelled
Learner transport was a sub-programme of the DoT’s Programme 3: Public Transport Services
DoE maintained its function of identifying learners in need
DoT held the function of providing the service given the resources and data received from the DoE

8. Expenditure Trend
The analysis will review the financial periods 2013/14 to 2017/18 and the following are primary sources of analysis:
KZN Estimates of Provincial Expenditure and Revenue (EPRE)
KZN DoE Annual Reports
KZN DoT Annual Reports
DBE Parliamentary Presentations

9. Total Learner Transport Budget
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Portion moved from Education
Final Shift from Education
37 000
38 500
42 200
44 310
Allocation *
Adjustment
Expenditure
Source: KZN EPRE 2013 – 2017 (Table 3.4)

10. Learner Transport: Annual Budget Increase
Source: KZN EPRE 2013 – 2017 (Table 3.4)

11. Learner Transport Expenditure
Source: KZN EPRE 2013 – 2017 (Table 3.4)

12. Learner and School Reach
Source: KZN DoE EPREs

13. Need vs. Target vs. Provision
2015
2016
2017
Learners Enrolled (DoE AR)
Learners in Need (DBE Data)
71 000
90 000
Learners in Need as % of Enrolled 4%
Learners Targeted (DBE Data)
34 814
47 747
Learners Targeted as % of Need
49%
67%
53%
Learners Transported (DBE Data)
43 990
Learners Transported as % of Need
Learners Transported Against Target
100%
92%
Source: KZN EPRE, DoE and DBE Data

14. Data Analysis
Many discrepancies exist within the KZN department’s own data
Departments use the previous year’s output (provision numbers and targets met) as the basis of the next year’s predictions
Has resulted in very stagnant growth in the number of schools and learners reached
Using DBE data, the departments have for the last three years set to only provide 4% of the potentially qualifying learners with transport
Of the identified learners in need:
2015: 49% transported;
2016: 67% transported;
2017: 49% transported
This being against their own targets, they record a 100% achievement rate

15. EE’s Adcocacy
April 2016: Presented recommendation on the Division of Revenue Bill to Standing Committee on Appropriations
March 2016 and 2017: Submissions to the Standing Committee on Appropriations on the Division of Revenue Bill
March 2017: Protest at KZN SOPA
October 2017: Picket outside DBE in Pretoria
Ongoing: MTBPS statements, Basic Education budget vote statements, Budget Speech statements, SONA statements, op-eds, media statements on all scholar transport-related issues

16. EE Learner Transport Court Case
07 November 2017, EE secured learner transport for 12 Nquthu schools
KZN DoE and DoT have to provide transport to these schools by 01 April 2018
The undertaking, granted by the court, also states that the KZN DoE must report back to the court on 01 April on:
The status of the KZN transport policy,
How national and provincial co-operative governance structures will plan, provide, implement, monitor and evaluate scholar transport in KZN.
The plans that the two Departments will make to address the issue of scholar transport in the province more broadly, and when these will be fulfilled.
The alternative modes of transport that two Departments will consider

17. Government Response
September 2014, DBE presentation to Select Committee on Appropriations: A conditional grant for subsidised learner transport “will continue to be explored”
May 2016, Standing Committee report to parliament: National Treasury, DBE and others should “explore options that allow for the ring fencing of funding allocated to scholar transport to be used solely and exclusively for that purpose.”
May 2017, Minister of Basic Education in media briefing: DBE is “open to looking at a case for the ring fencing of the learner transport budget in the form of a conditional grant to ensure that the budget is spent in the area it is intended for.
May 2017, DG of DBE to Portfolio Committee: if all goes according to plan in the discussions with National Treasury, a conditional grant will be introduced in 2018/2019.
October 2017, DBE to EE in a response to our memorandum: “ Following the recommendations from the Standing Committee to consider establishing a conditional grant for learner transport, the DBE together with the Department of Transport and National Treasury met to discuss the proposal and recommendations.”

18. WITHOUT A CONDITIONAL GRANT, WHEN WILL ALL LEARNERS IN NEED RECEIVE TRANSPORT?
In KZN, using DBE estimates of need: The 2026/27 financial year
In KZN, using Budlender’s estimates of need: The 2044/45 financial year

19. Change in Budget Allocation
Table 1: Provincial budget allocations for learner transport, 2013/14 – 2017/18 (In thousands of rand)
Source: Budlender, D. (2017) A proposal for a Learner Transport Conditional Grant. p. 10.

20. Change in Delivery
Table 2: Change in need, delivery, and allocation per learner by province, 2015/16 – 2017/18
Source: Budlender, D. (2017) A proposal for a Learner Transport Conditional Grant. p. 11.

21. Proposed Solution Conditional grant for learner transport
Ensures that scholar transport is prioritised
Proportional to learners transport needs
Allocations and expenditures easily visible

22. What Should The Grant Look Like?
A look at Debbie Budlender’s September 2017 proposal commissioned by IBP
Key parameters
Simple formula
Same cost per learner used nationwide
Excluding learners with special needs

23. Potential Ways To Structure The Grant:
OPTION 1:
OPTION 2:
Current allocations for learner transport in ES remain unchanged
Conditional grant used for unmet need
Initial increase of 10% followed by 5% each year, until need is met
No addition to ES required -> cheaper
Provinces would be required to report on allocations, expenditure and performance
All learner transport funding included within conditional grant
ES adjusted in line with ES formula
Funds divided by need or by delivery history
Initial increase of 10% followed by 5% each year, until need is met
Impacts some provinces more -> extra once-off injection to ES required
By 2020/21, both options will only have reached 14% of learners in need who are currently not serviced.

24. Thank You