Cacadu schools in dire state, reports committee

THE Bhisho Legislature’s education portfolio committee has expressed shock at the state of readiness of schools in the Cacadu [formerly Lady Frere] district.

Led by the chairman Mxolisi Dimaza, the committee on Friday met education stakeholders and parents in the district offices in Cacadu.

The school visit programme, which is also being conducted by other groups in all education districts across the province, will continue until Friday.

The groups are investigating challenges facing schools and what can be done to overcome them.

“We want to check what went wrong in this [Cacadu] district as it used to be one of the best performing districts in the province,” said Dimaza.

“Pointing fingers at individuals will not assist us, but we must all get our hands on deck in trying to find feasible solutions to this problem.”

Acting district director Thobeka Zibula, when giving an overview of the state of schools in the district, said the pass rate had deteriorated from 63.9% in 2014 to 46.2% in 2015. It was up last year, but only slightly, to 49.5%. Challenges included: ● Non-delivery of textbooks; ● Glue given as part of pupilteacher support materials being used as a drug;

● Non-availability of transport in most schools;

● Pupils not having birth certificates or identity documents;

● Late admission of pupils; scholar

● High number of small schools due to be closed down; ● Shortage of teachers; and ● Shortage of teachers for critical subjects such as maths and science.

Zibula said the the department was employing foreign nationals, but only on three-month contracts – “yet they are good with maths and science”.

Provincial education chief director Phila Ngqumba told the meeting the department was unable to find solutions to the problems alone and urged all stakeholders to work together.

He said among the reasons that textbooks were not delivered was that orders were only placed in December.

“Scholar transport is indeed a big problem for the department. SGBs and communities have agreed that some schools must be closed down and combined with others, but it does not happen because of the nonavailability of budget for scholar transport,” Ngqumba said.

“Political leadership must come with solutions to the problem of budget allocations.”

Dimaza criticised the department of education for poor planning.

“The department must fast-track the process of closing down small schools in the district, especially those that have Grade 12s. We cannot keep schools because they are named after our freedom fighters.

“For the sake of our pupils and education of the province, this must be dealt with urgently,” he said.

“Change is a must and it cannot please everybody.

“It might be painful, but it is for the best.”