New education MEC to tackle inclusive education issue
Newly appointed education MEC Fundile Gade has wasted no time wading in and grasping a thorny issue.
On his first day in office on Friday, attending his first event and delivering his first keynote address, he went straight to the heart of the province’s failure so far to deliver on inclusive education.
Gade – who is no stranger to the education sector, having chaired the education portfolio committee in the Bhisho legislature – spoke at St Patrick’s Special School in Ginsberg.
“It’s not our kids who have disabilities – the disability is within the system itself.
“When you speak about a government policy, it’s a system meant to serve the people. It’s not the society that must serve the system.
“And if the system is not responsive to the dynamic nature of the society, that means we need to go and see whether we have been implementing the white paper 6 [on inclusive education] to it’s logical conclusion,” said Gade.
Almost two decades after the inclusive education policy was promulgated, the provincial department has yet to implement it.
The policy is meant to dismantle separation of disabled and non-disabled pupils in the education system, and ensure all children can attend the same school and receive the same quality education.
The event on Friday was hosted by the department, together with the Eastern Cape Disability Economic Empowerment Trust, Epilepsy South Africa and Disabled People SA, in commemoration of Tekkie Tax Day, an international fundraising effort that raises funds for welfare organisations in SA.
A few years ago, the disabled sector entered into a partnership with the department to work towards making inclusive education a reality in the province.
Speaking at the event, Gade said when he heard about the event, he felt compelled to attend.
“I am here to affirm that as government we do not take lightly the education of pupils with disability.”
Earlier in 2019, the department of education gave itself four years to ensure that disabled schoolchildren could access all public schools in the Eastern Cape.
The plans would include constructing wheelchair ramps, providing support materials such as Braille and appointing trained and qualified staff.