Government-funded programmes and services for vulnerable - Unicef

Department of Basic Education
Grade R learners
There is uncertainty as to whether Grade R in public schools qualifies for school fee
exemptions at fee-paying schools or no-fee status in a no-fee school. The norms and
standards for school funding, which create fee exemptions and no-fee schools, apply only
to ordinary public schools. It is not clear if Grade R is included in this definition. 87
In theory, Grade R does not qualify for school fee exemptions or no-fee school status.
However, what is happening practically is that if a school is declared no fee, there is
an assumption that it extends to the Grade R learners, except there is no guarantee of
additional funding to the Grade R phase.
National School Nutrition Programme
● Inconsistent and insufficient levels of funding for the NSNP have compromised the
delivery of school feeding programmes at many primary and secondary schools
(Wildeman 2009).
● The NSNP is not available for most learners at secondary school level.
● The NSNP is not automatically available for poor learners attending schools in
quintiles 2, 3, 4 and 5. It is up to the school to apply for access to the programme.
Some schools that have made these applications have been refused entry to the
NSNP (Kallmann 2005).
87 Personal communication with Kevin Roussel, Catholic Institute of Education
175