Learner Transport Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education 03 March 2015

1. Learner Transport Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education03 March 2015

2. Outline • Objectives and background • Learner Transport Policy and desired outputs • Roles and responsibilities • Policy areas and summary of comments received • Learner transport information • Budget and expenditure 2015/16 • Challenges and way forward

3. Objectives • To improve access to quality education by providing safe, decent, effective, and integrated sustainable learner transport • To improve access to quality education through a coordinated and aligned transport system; • To manage and oversee the implementation of an integrated learner transport service. • To ensure an effective management of learner transport system. • To provide for a safe and secure transport environment for learners through co-operation and collaboration with law enforcement authorities.

4. Background • The learner transport function has been transferred to the Provincial Department of Transport in 5 of the 9 provinces, EC,KZN,MP,NC and NW. • In KZN the budget is still with Education whilst the Provincial Department of Transport is implementing and monitoring the program. • The Provincial Education Departments in these 5 provinces are responsible for identification of learner transport beneficiaries. • The function still with the Provincial Department of Education in 4 provinces, LP,GP,WC and FS.

5. Learner Transport Policy • The Department of Transport and in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education developed the Draft Learner Transport Policy through a consultative process. • The draft policy was approved by the Ministers of Basic Education and Transport. • The policy was presented to Cabinet and was approved for public comments . • On 13 November 2014, the policy was published for public comments. • Comments closed 03 December 2014 • An interdepartmental committee was established to analyse the comments and to effects the comments.

6. Desired outputs • Timeous delivery of service • Rate of road accidents reduced; • A coordinated approach in relation to planning and implementation • Learner transport operators that adhere to road traffic regulations • Vehicle maintenance plan and technical support for emergencies • Viable and sustainable operations • Uniformity of services and tariff structure • A coherent performance monitoring system

7. Roles and responsibilities • The Departments of Basic Education and Transport are responsible for development and review of policy and national guidelines on learner transport and for monitoring the overall achievement of accessibility to schools and transport objectives respectively. • The Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) and Provincial Transport Departments (PDOTs) are responsible for implementation and provision of learner transport, including procurement and contracting of providers and monitoring the achievement of accessibility to schools and the achievement of transport objectives. • The Provincial Department of Transport is responsible for the registration and licensing of operators, route design and monitoring of the learner transport services. • The PEDs are responsible for planning, identifying beneficiaries, inputs to the service design and the monitoring of the service in conjunction with the PDOT.

8. Policy areas • Location and management of the function • Provinces will determine the location of the function with directive from Provincial Executive Council • Learner transport planning • Provincial Department of Education and Transport are responsible for learner transport planning • Learner transport safety and security • Provincial Department of Transport is responsible for safety and security in the provisioning of learner transport • Criteria for learner transport beneficiaries • Beneficiaries for subsidised learner transport must be a needy learner from Grade R to Grade 12 . • Learner transport must be to the nearest appropriate school. Parental choice of schools must not be subsidised. • Priority must be given to learners with disabilities and primary school learners

9. Policy areas - cont • Service design for learner transport • The implementing departments in consultation with stakeholders is responsible for service design • Procurement of learner transport services • The implementing departments are responsible for procurement of learner transport service providers • Remuneration of learner transport operators • Remuneration must be based on total km travelled • Funding • The function will be funded through the fiscus by Provincial Treasuries • Universal design • All vehicle transporting learner with disabilities must adhere to the requirements and principle of universal designs

10. Summary of comments received • Location of the function- concerns on the function located in two Departments • Remuneration model need clarity • Accessible and safe transport for learners with disabilities. • Institutional mechanisms need clarity • Financial cost , there is a need to do a cost analysis and provide the financial implications for the state. • Scope- holistic approach to learner transport as a whole including non subsidised must be considered

11. STATUS QUO-LEARNERS TRANSPORT INFORMATION

12. LEARNERS TRANSPORT INFORMATION-cont • On average 4.2% of learners qualify for learner transport, of which 71% is transported and 29% not transported • EC- 5% of the learners need learner transport and of the 5%, 60% is transported and 40% not transported due to financial constraints. • FS- transporting 98% of learners who are qualifying • GP- Transporting 97% of qualifying learners and 3% not transported due to financial constraints • KZN – Transporting 31% of the learners in need of transport whilst 69% not transport which is the highest of all the nine provinces • LP-Transporting 52% of learners in need of learner transport. • NW- Transporting 46% of learners in need of transport61950 to 71715. • WC and MP are the only provinces that are transporting 100% of learners in need of transport • NC – Transporting 86% of learners in need of learner transport

13. Budget and Expenditure 2015/16

14. Challenges • Insufficient budgets • Increasing learner transport need • Lack of capacity in provincial learner transport units • Use of unroadworthy vehicles • Overloading of vehicles

15. Way forward The learner transport policy provides a collaborative, uniform and integrated national framework for the governance and management of scholar transport in the country. On approval , a framework for the implementation of the scholar transport system will be provided. Those elements of the policy which require only administrative action will be implemented immediately. Major policy changes from existing practice would be done on a phased manner.

16. THANK YOU THANK YOU