Shock discovery of illiterate Grade 12 pupils

THERE was a collective gasp last night when parliamentarians reported finding Grade 12 learners in Buffalo City Metro schools who could not read or write.

The MPs, who are on a national council of provinces oversight visit to schools around the metro, were reporting back to about 1 000 Mdantsane residents who packed the NU10 community hall.

The NCOP members had come across the problem of illiterate high school pupils yesterday.

MP Lungelwa Zwane said: “We discovered with shock in some high schools there are pupils who can’t read or write.

“This is caused by certain health conditions that go undetected,” she said.

Details of these health conditions and their link to illiteracy – and how they made it to matric – could not be confirmed last night.

Zwane said the committee would recommend to parliament that doctors visit schools to assess pupils and, where necessary, administer treatment.

However, Zwane traced the problems back to poor foundation phase education.

“We also want early childhood development teachers to get training. If our children don’t get proper early childhood training, that negatively impacts on their future.”

She said in some early childhood development institutions the MPS had discovered that some teachers went up to three months without their salaries being paid.

Zwane said they also found that there was high drug use in high schools.

Zwane said Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, education MEC Mandla Makupula and his social development counterpart Nancy Sihlwayi would be called to parliament and given deadlines to implement recommendations.

“We will continue to hold government to account,” Zwane said.