School debacle requires directorate

THE Eastern Cape Department of Education says the recent protests in Kuyga indicates the dire need for an education system planning directorate to work with local government to map population growth and urbanisation trends and assist with identifying the need for more schools.

Earlier this month, angry parents took part in violent protests when pupils from the Kuyga community in Port Elizabeth were stranded for weeks after the provincial departments of education and transport collectively scrapped its scholar transport service to farm schools outside the area.

The departments eventually reinstated the service following the massive outcry.

Yesterday, provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department would now build two new “mega” schools in the area, which would eventually remove the need for scholar transport and assist with population growth in Kuyga.

He said the department’s plans for Kuyga included a new mega primary school, a new mega high school as well as a hostel for pupils relying on farm schools on the western boundary of Port Elizabeth.

The department’s project manager of rationalisation, Jonathan Godden, said the population of Kuyga had increased over recent years and as the area was isolated and surrounded by an industrial area, the only primary school was now overcrowded.

“We run the risk now of seeing similar situations in Coega, Kamvelihle and other areas where we only have one school servicing a large and growing community.

“The challenge is understanding what the municipality plans to do in Nelson Mandela Bay.

“Will they allow certain areas to continue growing? Then we will be able to see the need to build a school,” he said.

Godden said the unit would look at educational data, follow trends and liaise with local government to identify where schools should be built.

The department’s chief director of physical resources, Zama Mnqanqeni, said they were also looking at tackling the issue of vacant schools in the townships where pupils have left to attend schools in primarily coloured areas.

“This has caused overcrowding in the coloured areas,” he said.