The workshop was convened by the Ministry of Education, who contextualised the subject within the framework of the Education White Paper Number 6 and Curriculum 2005. The key policy orientation of these documents relates to upholding human rights and to inclusivity - there should be no ceilings for learners, and the emphasis should be on support and addressing barriers to learning.

An important founding document for the workshop had been prepared by Themba Blose for the UN Office for Child Justice. This was a situational analysis of reform schools and schools of industry in South Africa. The research undertaken by Mr Blose revealed that there are 19 existing facilities in South Africa, although these are not evenly spread around the country from a geographical point of view. Outside of the Western Cape, only one reform school exists (in Mpumalanga), resulting in seven provinces being without access to reform schools for sentenced learners. However, save for Limpopo and the Northern Cape, all provinces have industrial schools, many of which have adequate accommodation. In fact, despite appearing to be full on paper, the number of children physically present at these residential facilities is far less owing to (for example) children being placed out on leave.

The qualitative findings of the situational analysis confirmed that many learners in reform schools and schools of industry were suffering from educational neglect, and were illiterate or semi-literate. However, no standardised educational material or norms on programmes to deal with this are yet in place. As regards transformation issues, the study noted that although racial integration had taken place, Afrikaans was still the dominant medium of communication and instruction, and by far the majority of principals were white men. The main recommendation brought to the fore by the situational analysis was that multi-purpose facilities should be established, utilising existing facilities and accommodation to create options for sentenced learners as well as children placed under the Child Care Act, No. 74 of 1983.

The Western Cape Department of Education presented interesting insight into the transformation of reform schools into youth care and education centres, which has been under way since the investigation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Young People at Risk in 1996. There are now four such centres in the province, each catering for 120 learners. Other provinces may only refer children to these residential facilities if the children are accompanied by a "care budget" from the home province's coffers.

Central to the two days of deliberations was the need to establish what should be done about children currently sentenced to reform school in provinces outside the Western Cape. Of particular concern was the large number of children being detained in prisons in the Eastern Cape - some having spent more than two years in custody already. Delegates agreed to conduct provincial audits of children awaiting placement at reform schools, and to return with a planned course of action to be implemented within a certain

period. A week later, representatives from the provincial Department of Social Development and Education reassembled with the personal details of each and every child awaiting placement, including information on where he or she was being held, and for how long the child had been there. Owing to the fact that the reform school in Mpumalanga had sufficient vacancies, and because many children had in fact "served" their entire sentence, it was possible to devise a plan for each of the children whose names had been gathered at provincial level. As at the time of writing, therefore, 65 children have been released or moved from prison, which is a dramatic improvementto the system.

What the experience shows undisputably is that intersectoral collaboration can produce the necessary results, and that there is no substitute for getting to grips with each child's individual circumstances in order to find solutions. In addition, the lesson has been clearly learnt that South Africa does not necessarily need more facilities be built, since existing residential centres can be transformed and rationalised to accommodate a wider variety of learners. The question of equitable provincial access may have to be addressed, however, as it is in principle undesirable to place children far from their places of origin.

The workshop has resulted in a marked step towards a national process of transformation of reform schools. Apart from the question of physical facilities, the next step will be to articulate norms and standards for a revised curriculum, one which is in line with learner needs and which can contribute to sound youth development.