Free to Learn A discussion paper on the School Fee Exemption policy (original) (raw)
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The financing of public schools in South Africa is dependent on school fees to a great extent. However, the legislative process governing the charging of school fees perpetuates the entrenched inequality in the education system and violates the constitutional rights of those learners who are unable to afford school fees and other educational costs. This study examines the impact of the school funding system on the right to basic education of these learners, who are in most instances black and/or poor. vi
Children and income poverty: a brief update
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There are strong links between income and the realisation of other socio-economic rights. These links are recognised in the South African Constitution, which gives children the right to direct support from the state, including social assistance (social grants), when families cannot meet their basic needs. The duty to provide for children is therefore shared between parents (or caregivers) and the state.
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In South Africa a range of civil society organizations and coalitions have been central to post-Apartheid efforts to protect vulnerable children through social security grants. This case study describes how the persistent campaigning of these organizations has contributed to significant budget and policy changes over the last decade such as the expanded eligibility for the Child Support Grant. The full version, short summary, and one page summary of this case study are available in English. Summaries are also available in Spanish and French.
Child Indicators Research, 2019
Measurement of child poverty continues to dominate public and academic discourse. However, a key issue in the literature is that focus is often on the poor or poorest children. There are hardly any studies that compare the distributions and experiences of poor children with vulnerable "non-poor" children, who might have narrowly missed predetermined poverty threshold(s), and are usually at a risk of "falling" into poverty at any slightest negative economic shock(s), especially at the household level. This paper thus develops child-specific vulnerability measures using data from the South African nationally representative surveys and adapted Alkire-Foster methodology. The measures were used to explore change in children's vulnerability to multidimensional poverty over time. The results indicate that there has been some reduction in the overall children's vulnerability to poverty. However, the proportion of vulnerable "non-poor" children remains relatively higher than the proportion of children living in chronic poverty. Further findings suggest that household economic (in) activity and education dimensions, relating to household employment opportunities and access to early childhood education and basic schooling, pose a great threat to reducing children's vulnerability to poverty in South Africa. It is thus recommended that there should be a social policy rethink that strongly admits "vulnerability" ideology into the conventional "pro-poor" social policy discourse.
The Scope and content of the rights to ‘Basic Education’ and its implementation in the Eastern Cape
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In terms of Section 29 (1) of the Constitution, everyone has the right to basic education. This right is not subject to 'reasonable legislative and other measures, available resources and progressive realisation.' The right to basic, compulsory education is widely regarded as a fundamental human right. For example, this right is included in a number of international human rights treaties such as the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights', the 'International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,' the 'African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child', the 'Convention on the Rights of the Child', the 'Dakar Framework for Action: Education for All', and 'UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education'. The South African Constitution, however, does not clarify the content and scope of the right to basic education. Consequently, the Constitution has given the state wide discretion to determine the scope, nature and content of this basic right. Apartheid left the South African education system fragmented and unequal. The South African educational system has gone through numerous curricula and institutional changes. The changes in the curriculum were part of the transformation process of the South African education system. In addition, the state has allocated substantial public funds towards basic education. However, the investment in basic education does not commensurate with the quality of teaching and learning in poor and marginalised schools. For example, several rural and farm schools in the Eastern Cape lacked toilet facilities; textbooks and other education support material; furniture; and other essential necessities. Education loses its transformative power when poor and marginalised schools continue to lack these essential services. Consequently, inequality is perpetuated and the poor and marginalised are unable to compete meaningfully in the social, economic and political life of South Africa. The mini dissertation concludes by recommending that the Department of Basic Education should ensure that all ii schools, especially those in rural communities and farms, have access to textbooks, qualified teachers, clean water and toilet facilities and other essential necessities needed for the delivery of quality basic education.