FAQs

Is PSP a way to privatise education?

No. Public school operators will always be non-profit organisations accountable to provincial government for their performance. Actually, both Government and Cosatu have already accepted that some publicly-funded services can be provided by either employees of the State or the private sector. Over 70% of the work of the Department of Social Development is contracted to NPOs, and low-fee independent schools may obtain a per capita subsidy of up to 60% of the equivalent allocation in public schools. PSP is the opportunity to build genuine and sustainable partnerships that bring new expertise into government schools without the profit motive distorting public provision.

Do teachers who work at PSP schools lose their benefits?

No. If they’re already employed in existing schools, they stay on the Departmental payroll. In new schools, the provincial government pays the school the equivalent of their salary and benefits.

What is the role of the funder group?

The funder group is committed to using their philanthropic funds, networks and people strategically to help make the pilot a success. Their role includes:

a. Assisting with the identification and development of SOPs;
b. Providing strategic vision and oversight;
c. Contributing financial support in terms of start-up costs, operational costs, etc.

Do parents really have a choice in terms of their school’s participation in the pilot?

Critics of the pilot project scoff at the idea that parents might turn down extra funding and suggest that there’s really no choice being offered at all. That is a patronising view. After nearly five years of working in these schools, our experience is that parents know what they want and agonise over the risk of their children being let down yet again by empty promises. Interestingly, parents at the most politicised schools have opted for a ‘fifty-fifty’ relationship on the SGB, making it clear to the School Operating Partners that they will be equally accountable for the failure or success of the school.

This process has involved parents more actively and given them more hope than exists in thousands of dysfunctional SGBs across the country. The national Department of Basic Education is currently considering amendments to the Schools Act to tackle these weaknesses. This experiment shows how SGB competence and democratic accountability can be built at the same time when provision is made for local flexibility.