Lobby group backs union to question schools plan
ADVOCACY group Equal Education has expressed “deep concern” about the Department of Education’s collaboration-schools pilot project, which is being launched in five schools.
On Monday, the Cape Argus reported on the plan, which the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in the province has slammed as an attempt to privatise education with public funds.
The department has indicated that the collaboration schools are a new model of schools, where donors, made up of a group of private foundations, play a significant role. Last week, Jessica Shelver, spokeswoman for Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, said the project would see underperforming schools and those serving marginalised communities partnered with a “partner committed to increasing the quality of teaching and learning in that school in order to substantially improve the school’s educational outcomes”.
Representatives from the partners would serve on the school’s governing body.
In a series of tweets yesterday, the organisation raised several questions about the project.
This included whether or not the budgets of these schools would be made public and how their funding would compare to other schools.
It said no explanation had been given about how the new model “squares with existing law” and demanded that Schäfer disclose the donors, operating contracts and other information.
Yesterday, Shelver said: “The pilot programme does not privatise schools; these schools are still public schools with public funding for additional support and resources from donors and operating partners.
“The policy on the pilot programme was approved by the MEC at the end of August. However, the implementation at schools will only be effective from January.”
Schäfer was expected to release a statement on the project today.
Sadtu provincial secretary Jonavon Rustin had said the department was diluting the powers of governing bodies and giving these to donors.
Unions raised the concern that teachers at the schools would be employed by governing bodies.
The union raised the concerns in a letter to provincial head Penny Vinjevold last month.