Sadtu slams plan to ‘privatise’ schools

Education officials say goal is simply to improve educational outcomes

THE NATIONAL executive committee of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) is opposing what it describes as a plan to “privatise schools” in the Western Cape. Last month, the Cape Argus reported that private organisations will play a significant role in running five schools, known as “collaboration schools”, in the Western Cape in a new pilot project.

The provincial education ministry says the project will seek to improve educational outcomes at these schools, but Sadtu described it as “a disguise to privatise education using public funds”.

Last week, the union’s national executive said the provincial government would be using state funds to enable private entities to govern and manage schools.

However, provincial education leaders said all money from the government would go directly to the schools with the private sector merely providing additional support.

“The transfer of state funds to the private provider may be a contravention of the Public Finance Management Act,” said Sadtu.

“Parents were not given a full explanation of the consequences of this privatisation project. This project may also be in conflict with the legislation governing schools.”

The union said it would “mobilise” affected communities, and was considering taking court action to challenge the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act.

Jessica Shelver, spokeswoman for Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, said the schools in the pilot remained public institutions with government funding, and would receive additional support and resources from donors and operating partners.

“All transfers of state funds are being made to the school bank accounts of public schools and not to private organisations.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 15

2015

“All school operating partners are nonprofit organisations which are being funded by philanthropic donors and foundations.”

She said the pilot project would test whether the department could allocate its time and resources better.

Shelver said that under the constitution of the Western Cape, executive authority in the province was vested in the premier.

“The premier (Helen Zille) exercises the executive authority, together with the other provincial ministers, by developing and implementing provincial policy and legislation. She has developed a policy on the pilot programme,” said Shelver.

“Collaboration schools are established and maintained as a new type of school in terms of… the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act.

“The pilot is there to test the viability of the proposed model.”

CONSEQUENCES OF THIS PRIVATISATION PROJECT WERE NOT FULLY EXPLAINED TO PARENTS