Twist in birth certificate case

THE Eastern Cape Department of Education has agreed to allow 37 children to attend schools despite them not having birth certificates.

This change of heart comes as the department is due to face judges of the Constitutional Court to answer to the fact that the children have not attended school this year.

The Centre for Child Law approached the Grahamstown High Court in December for an order allowing these children to attend school, pending a later application in which it intends challenging the department’s admission policy and the immigration legislation, which bars stateless children from attending school.

Despite the department’s earlier stance, they undertook in their affidavit to the Concourt to admit these pupil for now.

In light of the undertaking of the department, the centre will no longer ask the Concourt to rule that the children may in the interim attend school.

No date has been set for the hearing yet, but it is expected to be soon.