Foreword by the Minister of Basic Education

Equality of educational opportunities is one of the principles enshrined in our Constitution. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) interprets this principle as entailing equity of both education resource inputs and thus education outcomes. One of the most visible forms of inequality in the provision of resource inputs has been the physical teaching and learning environment – the key elements of which include infrastructure, basic services, equipment and furniture. 

Government has made progress in the provision of infrastructure. However, there are still imbalances with regard to the core elements or the basic mix of educational resource inputs constituting an enabling physical teaching and learning environment. There is evidence that lack of guidance in providing for this basic mix of inputs has resulted in:
• inadequate provision of school facilities and a lack of uniformity in providing those facilities; and
• difficulty in assessing the current environment as adequate or inadequate against clear benchmarks which had been determined in advance.

In addressing these, the DBE published the National Policy for an Equitable Provision of an Enabling School Physical Teaching and Learning Environment. The objective of this policy is to guide the provision of an enabling physical teaching and learning environment that is sustainable and equitable for all learners in South Africa, as well as to ensure that future investments are aligned with this definition.

It is my pleasure to introduce the Guidelines Relating to Planning for Public School Infrastructure. The guidelines emanate from the policy and their objective is to provide guidance with regard to the basic mix of educational resource inputs, which are required to facilitate functionality of a school. These guidelines will also provide the basis for benchmarking school facilities. They also constitute the basis for the development of a basic mix of educational resource inputs that will facilitate the minimum to optimum functionality of the school. The guidelines will ensure that our learners enjoy the same educational environment, irrespective of where a school is situated. These guidelines are aimed at improving access to quality education facilities, as well as to facilitate the realisation of outcomes 1 and 12 of the Government Plan of Action.

This endeavour would not have been successful without the financial support from the Norwegian Trust Fund, managed by the World Bank, and neither without the overall strategic guidance and direction from the Council of Education Ministers.