Investigating the extent to which the implementation of the no-fee policy effects on access to quality education in Gauteng, South Africa.
Date
2011-05-20
Authors
Ramothwa, Ntombizanele
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Abstract
This study aims to investigate the extent to which no-fee schools policy affects
access to quality education in Gauteng, South Africa. Literature points out that
since 1994 South Africa has passed laws that created favorable conditions for
policy development and implementation. After 1994, the newly elected
government made conceptual commitments to a number of principles, one such
notable commitment being the principle of free basic education. In 2002, the
Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal, expressed his concern over reports
about poor learners who were being forced to pay school fees. He directed the
Department of Education to conduct a review of all policies and systems that
related to school funding, with special attention being given to learners from
disadvantaged backgrounds. This review culminated in the Department of
Education’s Plan of Action, which gave guidance on how to initiate the non-feepaying
policy. This was done after reviewing the impact made by the South
African Schools Act of 1996, the National Norms and Standards for School
Funding of 1998 and the National Education Policy of 1996.
In this mini-dissertation, it is argued that the successful management of the
processes and resources of no-fee schools policy is dependent on effective and
efficient policy implementation. This culminates in debates illuminating how the
policy players at the school level implemented the no-fee policy. A qualitative
research design using semi-structured interviews was used. The researcher
employed an interview guide, observer status in meetings of school governing
bodies, and an analysis of official school documents to collect data for the study.
The study was confined to three Ekurhuleni South District public schools in
Gauteng, using purposive sampling to select the participants. The researcher
distils several main themes from the three case studies that vary according to the
unique nature of the contextual factors affecting each school. Findings revealed
that the no-fee schools policy could not be implemented in isolation, but that
numerous aspects have to be considered. Some of the more important aspects
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impacting on the implementation of the no-fees policy are: the role played by the
schools’ systems and procedures as underpinned by the macro-legislative
framework and education policies; the role played by stakeholders’ awareness and
participation; and the role played by leadership strategies.