2025-w2411 - 06 January 2025

Lerato Mikateko Ngobeni to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Whether she will furnish Ms LM Ngobeni with a complete breakdown of all official travel for (a) her and (b) the Deputy Minister since they assumed office, including the (i) purpose and justification for each trip, (ii) destination details, (iii) costs incurred, including but not limited to transport, accommodation, meals and other related incidental expenses, (iv) names and roles of all accompanying support staff and their respective costs and (v) additional costs associated with each specified trip; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

Reply from the Minister of Basic Education on 6 Jan 2025

Please find attached the breakdown (Annexure A), as requested, which I am advised reflects the information requested.

Annexure A provides a complete breakdown of all official international travel for the Minister of Basic Education since she assumed office, including the (i) purpose and justification for each trip, (ii) destination details, (iii) costs incurred, including, but not limited, to transport, accommodation, meals and other ...

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2025-w2218 - 06 January 2025

Sibongiseni Ngcobo to ask the Minister of Basic Education

With reference to the second quarterly report on the performance of her department in meeting its predetermined objectives for the 2024-25 financial year, in which it was mentioned that the Deputy Minister launched an In-School Breakfast programme in Kuruman with certain companies (names furnished), (a) what factors influenced the selection of the five schools in the Kuruman area for the specified programme and (b) how are parents, teachers, and local communities engaged in the programme’s implementation and monitoring?

Reply from the Minister of Basic Education on 6 Jan 2025

a) The funder of the in-school breakfast programme contracted with the Department of Energy to support local social development for communities within a 50km radius of Kathu Solar Park, being the site of a concentrated solar power thermal energy plant located in the Northern Cape. The five schools participating in the in-school breakfast programme were identified in consultation with the relevant education district office in line with ...

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2025-w2360 - 06 January 2025

Ngwanamakwetle Reneiloe Mashabela to ask the Minister of Basic Education

What mechanisms has her department put in place to monitor the performance of (a) schools and (b) education programmes at the (i) provincial and (ii) district levels?

Reply from the Minister of Basic Education on 6 Jan 2025

Section 8 of the National Education Policy Act, 1996 (Act No. 27 of 1996) (NEPA) mandates the Minister of Basic Education to ensure the standards of education provision, delivery and performance are monitored and evaluated annually or at specified intervals. This is aimed at assessing compliance with the Constitution and national education policy, particularly as determined in terms of section 3(3) of the NEPA. ...

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2024-w2362 - 31 December 2024

Sibongiseni Ngcobo to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(a) How will her department ensure a smooth transition to formally integrate Grade R practitioners into the education system amidst ongoing job cuts without compromising the quality of education and/or the livelihoods of affected practitioners and (b) what total number of Grade R practitioners (i) are already on the payroll of her department, (ii) will be absorbed into permanent positions and (iii) are expected to remain in excess after the specified transition?

2024-w2230 - 31 December 2024

Ngwanamakwetle Reneiloe Mashabela to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Whether she has discovered any delays and/or financial mismanagement in the infrastructure projects of her department such as building new schools in rural communities or maintaining the existing ones; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Basic Education on 31 Dec 2024

The infrastructure delivery model used by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) involves the contracting of Implementing Agents (including the Coega Development Cooperation, Development Bank of Southern Africa, The Mvula Trust, Independent Development Trust and the National Education Collaboration Trust) to implement projects on behalf of the DBE who subsequently appoint Professional Service Providers and Principal Agents for the design, documentation, contract monitoring and administration ...

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2024-w2467 - 31 December 2024

Delmaine Chelsey Christians to ask the Minister of Basic Education

What actions is her department taking to attract and retain qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics educators, especially in under-resourced schools?

Reply from the Minister of Basic Education on 31 Dec 2024

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is implementing several targeted programmes to attract and retain qualified Mathematics, Science, and Technology (MST) / Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educators, including the following:

  • Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme, which provides funding to students pursuing teaching qualifications in priority subject areas. The DBE ensures that universities are informed about the subjects required by the DBE, with a ...
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2024-w2031 - 23 December 2024

Ferlon Charles Christians to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Whether the collaboration with the Department of Social Development and SA Police Service have shown measurable results in addressing school violence and substance abuse; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Basic Education on 23 Dec 2024

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has a Protocol with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to address crime and violence in schools. The Protocol is intended to enable all schools to be linked to their local police stations and requires SAPS to assist with search and seizure operations and crime awareness campaigns in schools. Schools regularly work with SAPS, local community police forums ...

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2024-w2448 - 23 December 2024

Alexandra Lilian Amelia Abrahams to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Whether the records of her department show teenage pregnancy amongst learners to be prevalent in specific schools within the Republic; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the details of (a) the (i) high/secondary and (ii) primary schools teenage pregnancy were prevalent in each (aa) district and (bb) province and (b) her department’s interventions in the specified districts?

2024-w2469 - 18 December 2024

Delmaine Chelsey Christians to ask the Minister of Basic Education

What measures has her department put in place to ensure that students from low-income families are not priced out of quality education due to their inability to pay school fees?

Reply from the Minister of Basic Education on 18 Dec 2024

The Minister of Basic Education and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) are committed to ensuring that learners from low-income families are not excluded from accessing quality education due to their inability to pay school fees.

It must be noted that, in terms of section 5(3)(a) of the South African Schools Act (SASA), no learner may be refused admission to a public school on ...

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2024-w2468 - 18 December 2024

Delmaine Chelsey Christians to ask the Minister of Basic Education

What is the updated timeline about the plans to eliminate unsafe pit toilets and thereby ensure that all schools have essential infrastructure?

Reply from the Minister of Basic Education on 18 Dec 2024

The Department of Basic Education (DBE), together with Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) and the DBE’s implementing agents, have made significant progress in improving sanitation facilities at public schools under the Sanitation Appropriate For Education (SAFE) initiative.

The DBE has advised that 3,155 identified sanitation projects have been completed under the SAFE initiative since its inception. The remaining 220 projects identified for purposes of the ...

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