Schools Rationalisation in the Eastern Cape: A Case Study

This case study by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) describes the GTAC Schools Rationalisation Project, an initiative by the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) to support the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) in improving teaching and learning by closing unviable small schools and reallocating learners to better-resourced institutions.

• The Eastern Cape faces a pressing need for school rationalisation due to a legacy of small schools from the Transkei era and out-migration to urban centres. Data from 2016 indicates that nearly 50% of schools have fewer than 250 learners, and 17% have fewer than 100 learners.
• Past rationalisation attempts in the province failed due to non-compliance with the South African Schools Act and fragmented planning regarding teacher placements, infrastructure, and scholar transport. The lack of transport specifically led to community distrust and resistance.
• The GTAC project established four primary goals: creating data-based ten-year 'circuit school landscape plans' for rationalisation, building the capacity of district officials to use planning tools, improving legislative compliance via standard operating procedures, and improving public messaging and stakeholder communication.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (2019). Schools Rationalisation in the Eastern Cape: A Case Study. https://pari.org.za/schools-rationalisation-in-the-eastern-cape-a-case-study/

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. Schools Rationalisation in the Eastern Cape: A Case Study. 2019. https://pari.org.za/schools-rationalisation-in-the-eastern-cape-a-case-study/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=Schools Rationalisation in the Eastern Cape: A Case Study |date=27 November 2019 |url=https://pari.org.za/schools-rationalisation-in-the-eastern-cape-a-case-study/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{publicaffairsresearchinstitute2019schools, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{Schools Rationalisation in the Eastern Cape: A Case Study}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://pari.org.za/schools-rationalisation-in-the-eastern-cape-a-case-study/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }