Education
- (a) How many schools have been closed in the province and what were the reasons for the closure of each school in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015, (d) 2016, (e) 2017, (f) 2018 and (g) 2019 to date;
- whether her Department has any plans to close more schools in the province between 2019 and 2024; if so, (a) what are the names of the schools, (b) what are the reasons for these closures, (c) how many learners will be affected at these identified schools, (d) how many teachers will be affected at these identified schools and (e) which public schools, including model C schools, are closest to the communities affected by these school closures?
- None
- 4
- 15
- 5
- 17
- 7
- 1
Reasons for closing:
Year | How many schools | Reasons for Closing |
2014 | 4 | No learners at schools as parents enrolled them at other schools in the area |
2015 | 15 | At twelve schools: Declining learner numbers over years due to migration of farming communities to larger towns At two schools the lease agreement was terminated by the land owner. At one school there were no learners at the school as parents enrolled them at other schools in the area |
2016 | 5 | At four of the schools there were declining learner numbers over years due to migration of farming communities to larger towns At one school no learners at school as parents enrolled them at other schools in the area |
2017 | 17
| Fourteen schools closed due to declining learner numbers over years due to migration of farming communities to larger towns Three schools closed due to having no learners at the school as parents enrolled them elsewhere |
2018 | 7 |
At one school, the school building became a safety risk after ongoing burglary and vandalism. |
2019 | 1 |
|
- Schools are identified for closure as and when required, due to dwindling enrolment figures, lease agreements not being renewed and schools being repurposed. In some instances, schools are merged in order to optimise investment in one facility, which would benefit the whole community (both school communities that are involved). Plans to close schools are considered when an application is submitted to me for a decision. Schools with dwindling enrolments will be considered for closure in the next 5 years, but a decision to close such school will ultimately be made by me at the time when such an application is made and all due processes are followed, including comprehensive consultations with the relevant communities.
We do not have “Model C” schools – they are all public ordinary schools.
