LEARNER TRANSPORT

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LEARNER TRANSPORT

• PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
• 15 MAY 2007

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CONTENTS

• Issues in learner transport
• DoE research
• Current provision
• Next steps

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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

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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

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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 .

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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

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Status quo (3)

• NW managed by Department of Transport,
  information not available
• KwaZulu-Natal no learner transport in the past

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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

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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

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THANK YOU