Investigating the extent to which the implementation of the no-fee policy effects on access to quality education in Gauteng, South Africa.

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 iii 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.