Throwing book at schools crisis
DECAYING and hazardous school infrastructure, overcrowding, inadequate learning material, lack of ablution facilities and dire shortage of textbooks and furniture are among many challenges encountered by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) delegation visiting schools in Alfred Nzo district.
Others problems identified included: Lack of clean water supply; No night security guards; No school fencing; High teenage pregnancy rate; Taverns and shebeens within school proximity;
Bad road infrastructure connecting to schools; and
Unfilled management and administrative support staff posts.
But it was not all doom and gloom, as MPs were impressed by pockets of excellence at some of the schools they had visited.
The NCOP, in collaboration with Eastern Cape Legislature and the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on Basic Education, this week conducted oversight visits and held public meetings as part of the Taking Parliament to the People programme.
The focus was mainly on overseeing the delivery of quality education in Alfred Nzo.
In addressing some challenges found, the delegation ordered immediate intervention – and commitment – from the Department of Basic Education and their provincial department officials, who had accompanied the MPs.
The delegation appealed to all stakeholders in affected areas to work together and have a concrete plan of action to address the challenges identified during the oversight visits.
Clarah Dikgale, who led the delegation traditional leaders, holds teachers accountable and runs the school professionally,” Dikgale said.
The MPs were saddened to discover that a committed maths teacher at Dudumeni Comprehensive High School Boukuveni Village in Mbizana had not been paid for three months since being transferred from KwaZulu-Natal.
“How can he feed his family and pay other bills and teach his pupils? It’s a shame to the department. We had ordered the department to pay him all the money due to him by Friday [yesterday],” said Dikgale.
Nompumalanga Special School at Nomlacu village in Mbizana is functioning without a school governing body after parents pulled out in anger because the new principal hired was not their preferred candidate. In Ntabankulu, the MPs were distraught to find young pupils still crammed into dilapidated structures. To make matters worse, children at Masakhane and Noluvo Pre-Primary Schools have to walk long distances to and from school.
“We will continue working towards ensuring that service delivery promises made to our people are implemented by all stakeholders concerned,” Makue said.
The delegations were shocked that in Mbizana they had found taverns operating from one room also selling liquor, bread, sweets and cigarettes to teachers and underage pupils.
The delegations urged all stakeholders to work together and ensure service delivery to the people were prioritised. — lulamilef@dispatch.