Gauteng Education is in crisis, Total Change needed

22 February 2018

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has observed that since schools reopened in January this year, there are many crises experienced in Gauteng, ranging from late placement of learners, overcrowded classrooms, illegal strikes, racial tensions, sexual abuses and lack of basic services.

The DA has conducted many oversight visits and our impression is that the provision of basic quality education will remain a pipe dream to many. The fact is education is an essential tool in breaking the cycle of poverty and unemployment, but with a broken education system the children and youth of Gauteng will struggle to build themselves and their communities.

There have been a series of disruptions of schooling across Gauteng, which further entrench the province’s education crisis.

At Durban Deep Primary School, learners have been sitting at home since the school was closed last month.

In Eldorado Park, teachers affiliated to SADTU have been absent from school since last week. Equally SADTU has been calling meetings during school hours, disadvantaging learners.

Today the parents and the broader community of Cosmo City have shut down all eight public schools in the area due to overcrowding in classrooms.

The angry parents have vowed that their children will not attend school until the Gauteng Department of Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi addresses the issue of overcrowding in the schools in the area.

They are demanding that the department must build more schools so as to relieve the pressure on these eight schools.

There is severe overcrowding in classrooms in these five primary and three high schools.

The number of learners is increasing every day as the schools are still admitting more learners for the 2018 academic year but no resources are being provided to accommodate ever increasing numbers.

This environment is not conducive for teaching and learning and the parents feel that it is better for their children not to go to school at all than to be cramped in one classroom.

It is regrettable that MEC Lesufi has failed to spend the infrastructure budget while the demand for it is so high. Poor project management and planning have characterized the department. Lack of consequences amongst officials who fail to do their job is leading to this crisis.

During the DA’s visit to these schools on the 5th of February, we discovered that these schools are facing extensive overcrowding.

Cosmo City West Primary School and Cosmo City Junior Primary School are the worst affected with up to 91 learners per classroom sitting on the floor.

The teachers are unable to provide quality teaching in this environment as well as to give each learner the attention they deserve.

The DA calls on MEC Lesufi to provide these schools with mobile classrooms in the interim while working on the issue of excellent performance. The high demand for certain schools is based on schools performance.

We also call for calm from the parents; we understand their concerns and the issues raised are legitimate, but shutting down schools is not the solution. Children cannot be prevented from attending school as access to education is their basic constitutional right.

The DA will continue to engage MEC Lesufi on this matter to ensure that teaching and learning resumes with immediate effect at Cosmo City.

Gauteng needs a Total Change in government, where learners and teachers are beneficiaries of quality education. Only the DA can deliver a good future for Gauteng.

Issued by Khume Ramulifho, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, 22 February 2018