EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL CONTRAVENES 1996 SCHOOLS ACT

THE dust has not settled around the provincial education laws amendment bill.

I concur with the remark of the editor about the seemingly totally incompetent MEC for education in the Western Cape, as substantiated below.

The constitution is the supreme law of our country, whether you like it or not. All other laws of the country must comply with the constitution.

Since the death penalty was abolished with the introduction of the constitution, no matter how heinous the crime of a multiple murderer, the death penalty cannot unfortunately be handed down to him.

The constitution and supreme law for education in our country is the South African Schools Act of 1996 and all its amendments. All education laws, including that of the nine provinces must comply with this act.

The act clearly stipulates that the number of parent members of a governing body at a public school must be one more than the combined total of all other members who have voting rights.

This is to ensure that the parent members play a significant part in the decisions that will ultimately affect their children as learners at the school. According to the act, this aspect is non-negotiable.

Despite the above, MEC Debbie Shäfer and her entire legal team felt it fit to propose an education bill that contravenes this requirement of the Schools Act.

With the stroke of the pen the MEC single-handedly wants to remove the voting power of parents with her introduction of collaboration and donor-sponsored schools. This act is similar to reintroducing the death penalty.

I wonder whether Shäfer, her legal team and some old boys celebrated this act prematurely with alcohol at a school in the leafy suburbs?

Since the proposed bill was signed off by Shäfer, do you blame me for concluding logically that she is incompetent? ADIEL ISMAIL Mount View