About 1142 schools across the Eastern Cape province have been gazetted for closure as part of the rationalisation, realignment and merge of non-viable schools, following a series of meaningful meeting with parents, unions, school governing bodies and civil society leaders.
The gazette promulgated on July 5th, gave communities a thirty (30) day period to submit comments confirming the list.
The list contained stipulated process to follow when submitting such comment to the districts and provincial office. The meaningful consultation has resulted in the promulgation of those identified schools for the programme.
This programme entailing the closure, merge and realignment of schools is prescribed by the South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996).
Primarily, the programme is meant to ensure the optimisation of the limited state resources for the benefit of every learner in the province. This is due to the drive to improve the overall quality of education within the Province.
The gazetted primary schools had less than 135 learners which is prescribed by the Act (Norms and standards) which is even lesser than the national average of 150 learners per school.
Furthermore, although the norms and standards prescribes 200 learners, currently the secondary school national average is 504 learners per school.
The promulgated schools, none of these promulgated primaries nor secondary schools meet the policy prescripts hence a majority is already closed.
Apart from the 1142 schools identified for closure, 390 ones will be re-aligned as they have lesser number.
This practice is conducted to ensure that every learner is provided public quality education in a conducive teaching and learning environment.
The process forms part of the implementation process of the new Service Delivery Model (SDM) and new Organisational Structure.
A component of the SDM is the need to rationalise non-viable schools including closure, merge or realignment of certain schools.
Gazzetting these schools therefore forms part of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), which is a guide to the officials tasked with the project to support compliance with relevant legislation, policies and guidelines, as well as to drive consistency across the various Circuits and Districts.
To date, districts have received lists of the schools in each district, and have to confirm that these schools have been closed.
The two pronged schools closure process consist of a pre-closure and post-closure guidelines to be observed as outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures. Since all stages of the pre-closure have been met, districts have to observe the post-closure process below:
Post Closure Process:
As part of the post-closure process contained in the SOPs, districts and circuits are expected to:
- Inform EMIS of the schools that are Closed and not be Resourced in the 2nd Quarter July 2021
- School Administration to ensure Norms and Standards funds follow learners to Receiving schools.
- School Nutrition Programme to transfer funds of the learners from these Closing schools to Receiving schools.
- LTSM procurement be in terms of learners in the Receiving school and for appropriate Grades. LTSM in Closed schools to be retrieved and stored if not required in Receiving schools.
- HRA to ensure placement of Educators in accordance with PPN of Receiving schools
- Supply Chain Management to conduct audit of Assets in the Closed schools.
- Infrastructure to conduct assessment of these Closed schools and prepare Transfer of these immovable assets to D.P.W.
- Identify scholar transport for deserving learners from these Closed schools to avoid them dropping out of school or burdening parents with transport costs except if taken to school of choice.
- Terminate contracts or leases of schools closed which are on Private property.
- Close all school accounts and settle any creditors and remaining monies returned to Provincial Fiscus.
- All above processes are to be undertaken by various Chief Directorates immediately that the Gazettes are Published and are to be shared with the Districts and all Chief Directorates.
Although the process started in 2016, all Districts and Circuit Managers were capacitated to implement, guide and manage the process in line with the Circuit School Landscape Plans for all 216 Circuits which informs the process.
The SOP’s as approved on school rationalisation and realignment guide officials at District and Provincial levels.
Other schools closed due to learner migration following movement of parents in search of better economic prospects. This therefore also informs the movement of children to other nearby schools or outside the District or Province.
Migration trends influenced by socio-economic opportunities led to some of these schools closing through natural attrition.
Public Hearings were held where SGBs and various stakeholders views were submitted by Districts with findings and recommendations for MEC’s approval.
Issued by ECDoE Communications
For more details please contact Mali Mtima @084 230 1976