1. PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION 15 MAY 2007
LEARNER TRANSPORT
PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
15 MAY 2007

2. Issues in learner transport
CONTENTS
Issues in learner transport
DoE research
Current provision
Next steps

3. Issues in learner transport
Effective access & implications:
Location of schools
Transport
Hostels
Substantial difference between provinces in approaches
Wide coverage of problems with bus service
Perceived quality of service, especially with reference to learner safety
Agreements & payment of contractors
In response, DoE commissioned experts

4. Objectives of the study
Gather information on existing learner transport schemes both internationally, nationally and sub-nationally.
Evaluate and develop alternate strategies to improve access to schools in SA
Formulate a national framework on learner transport assistance schemes, as a guideline for PEDS

5. Status quo
National Household Travel Survey (Department of Transport: 2003)
75% of learners take less than 30 minutes to walk from home to school
As many as 5% of those walking (or more than 570,000 learners) take longer than 1 hour to reach their place of education;
25% of primary school children (1,7 million) and 36% of high school learners (1,8 million) walk longer than 30 minutes or about 3 km in one direction;
High proportion of learners walking longer than 30 minutes to reach education sites in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and North West .

6. Diverse provincial practice:
Status quo (2)
Learner transport policy and implementation in 8 of the 9 provinces (KwaZulu-Natal only proceeding now).
Diverse provincial practice:
Type of support
Mostly contracted dedicated transport service
Also:
Money/cash for using public transport
Non-motorised transport (bicycles)
Criteria for participation
Generally distance (3 to 5 km)
Income sometimes factored in

7. Status quo (3)
NW managed by Department of Transport, information not available
KwaZulu-Natal – no learner transport in the past

8. Current processes
Internal consultation within education sector on appropriate way forward
What is required? (national policy, national guidelines or provincial prerogative)
Clear responsibilities
Scope of what is required? (From broad policy to management system to operations)
Transport participated together with provinces in processes around the study but further consultation required

9. Potential impact
Key decision on whether a national distance or other norm should be set
Implications not insignificant
Implications for numbers transported and expenditure identified in table below

10. THANK YOU