Trollip steps in on schooling crisis

Mayor set to meet MEC in bid to help improve metro’s matric pass rate

NELSON Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip is taking the metro’s education woes directly to the provincial government in an effort to improve the quality of teaching in the Bay. Trollip hosted a number of teachers, principals and role-players in the education sector at the Port Elizabeth City Hall yesterday, listening to their complaints and suggestions on what needed to be addressed to improve the metro’s matric pass rate.

This came after the municipality identified education as one of the main concerns raised by residents during the local government’s Integrated Development Plan public participation meetings in October and November.

Trollip said he had discussed the state of education with premier Phumulo Masualle during a recent meeting and had been assured that a meeting between Trollip and Education MEC Mandla Makupula would be arranged soon.

“Education is not local government’s responsibility, but a provincial and national responsibility,” the mayor said.

“However, local government cannot sit with folded arms and wait for something to happen. There is a direct correlation between the education crisis, poverty and crime, and we need to do something.”

He said that while he had no formal experience in education, he was passionate about improving schooling in the metro and was calling on the experience and expertise of people in the profession to help develop a strategy he could take to his meeting with the MEC.

NMMU education faculty dean Dr Muki Moeng said a combination of efforts would be needed to resolve the crisis in the Bay.

“Matric results are influenced by a number of social ills that can be addressed by local government, which in turn will assist the improvement of education,” she said.

Moeng said pupils started working toward their matric results as early as Grade R and the entire education system needed to be re-evaluated.

“Students need a good foundation,” she said.

“We cannot focus on matric in isolation, but must take a look at the entire schooling system if we want better results.”

Phumla Mlolomba, head of department at Luthando Luvuyo Special School in Zwide, asked for Trollip’s intervention after residents built shacks on land allocated to the school for sporting activities.

“We deal with children who have a range of intellectual disabilities,” she said.

“For some of them, a future in academics is not possible and they put all their hopes into becoming sport stars.

“Now we cannot even use our sport fields.”

She also raised issues that were echoed by other teachers and principals at the meeting – no refuse collection at schools, failing infrastructure, lack of sporting equipment and overcrowded classes, to name a few.

Trollip promised to visit some of the schools personally, and said councillors would be instructed to visit schools in their areas to keep tabs on issues the schools were facing.

‘ Local government cannot sit with folded arms and wait for something to happen