Rural Education Draft Policy

The Department of Basic Education has published the Rural Education Draft Policy in the Government Gazette for comments. "This policy proposes rural education provisioning that capitalises on resources available in rural communities. The provision of quality education in rural schools requires not only targeted fiscal, but also civic agency, with the OBE working in collaboration with rural communities to mobilise resources (including socio- cultural, agricultural and natural resources, as well as indigenous knowledge systems.)

The policy aims to address the isolation, disconnectedness, shame and distrust, as well as the lack of development often associated with rural communities and schools.

From this perspective, developmental outcomes (learning, wellbeing) are less aligned with economic riches and more aligned with: a. Self -esteem: Children's and teachers' valuing of themselves, an identity and sense of pride in oneself and the place where one lives, learns and works. Social Connectedness: Being connected to meaningful others and belonging to a group, i.e. school communities using partnerships to function as educational units of wellbeing, learning and teaching. Functional Services: Learners and teachers must have access to basic development services that includes but not limited to the following: health, social development, and libraries."