The Rural Education Directorate hosted a two-day Inter-Provincial Rural Education Committee (IPREC) meeting from 4 to 5 December 2024 at the DBE Conference Centre in Pretoria. This last IPREC meeting for the year was also an opportunity to plan for 2025. The meeting shared best practices, deliberated on strengthened strategies and took stock of progress achieved in supporting rural and multi-grade teaching schools.

On day 1 of the meeting, IPREC members attended the release of the TIMSS, SEACMEQ V and SASE Systemic Assessment results, hosted by Minister Siviwe Gwarube. It was therefore fitting that at the start of the meeting, Dr Phumzile Langa, Director for Rural Education, reflected on the results. “Our meeting coincides with the release of the results, and it is only appropriate that we reflect on what the results are telling us. These results sadly reflect major disparities between the poor and the affluent, our rural schools are still lagging behind their urban counterparts, and this calls upon us to intensify our strategies and support to these schools. While there are pockets of excellence in rural schools, the vast majority are still trapped at the low end of performance,” said Dr Langa. She requested attendees to reflect on what the results mean for them as IPREC, and as officials responsible for supporting rural schools in their provinces.

In their reflections, IPREC members shared Dr Langa’s views that the results are skewed and showed that poor schools are performing below the minimum threshold, which calls for the intensification of strategies and activities to redress the situation in rural schools. They reiterated the Minister’s belief that targeted interventions and programmes are the answer to closing the performance gaps that exist between urban and rural learners. Dr Langa said that, “the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the National Rural Education Framework that the Directorate has developed with the support of Marang Education Trust is key. This will allow for the effective implementation of the Framework, which guides the sector to move away from a one size fits all to a context-specific approach in dealing with inequities in the sector”.

Turning to the business of the meeting, discussions shifted to sharing best practices and innovative approaches to enhance the effectiveness of activities to support rural schools. The DBE reported on progress on the Pre-service Teacher Internship project, which is a school-based initial teacher training programme with a strong Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) component, as well as the Reading for Meaning project. Furthermore, the Directorate shared that it is preparing to implement a Blended Learning Support Programme for improving Mathematics, Sciences and Languages in rural schools. “All our projects are contributing towards shifting the needle in the rural education landscape,” Dr Langa added.

In providing progress reports on their respective provinces, officials highlighted important programmes and projects on the implementation of the National Framework for Rural Education. These programmes ranged from the provision of learning and teaching support materials, training of teachers and district officials to support schools, monitoring and support activities undertaken. The overall message emerging from the presentations was that provinces are expanding resources and energies in redressing the intractable challenges facing rural schools.  In closing the meeting, Dr Langa appreciated the work that is being done across provinces and thanked IPREC members and social partners who support IPREC in all the work they do. “Your support is invaluable, and we greatly appreciate having you as critical friends”.