THE provincial education department has applied for a four-month extension to meet an Mthatha High Court order that it provides every public school with adequate school furniture by May 31.
Education head of department Mthunywa Ngonzo said three insurmountable obstacles to providing every public school child with a desk and chair had stymied the best efforts of the department.
He said the LRC on behalf of the CCL was likely to oppose the application for an extension.
“It is clear that the Eastern Cape department of education failed to budget adequately to provide furniture to all pupils despite being aware for three years that more than R300-million was needed to fulfil this obligation.”
He said the LRC and CCL supported the treasuries’ assumption of furniture procurement in light of the department’s abject failure to oversee lawful and regular tender processes.
In February, Judge Glenn Goosen ruled that by May 31 the department had to provide adequate furniture to enable each child at the identified schools to have their own reading and writing space.
He declared the South African government and the provincial and national education departments to be in breach of Eastern Cape public school pupils’ right to a basic education by consistently failing to provide them with adequate school furniture.
Goosen warned that if they did not meet his order they would have to explain their failure directly to the court.
March 25, the Dispatch reported on millions of rands worth of neglected school desks that lay in storage:
Still no desks for thousands of pupils
Education head of department Mthunywa Ngonzo said three insurmountable obstacles to providing every public school child with a desk and chair had stymied the best efforts of the department.
He said the LRC on behalf of the CCL was likely to oppose the application for an extension.
“It is clear that the Eastern Cape department of education failed to budget adequately to provide furniture to all pupils despite being aware for three years that more than R300-million was needed to fulfil this obligation.”
He said the LRC and CCL supported the treasuries’ assumption of furniture procurement in light of the department’s abject failure to oversee lawful and regular tender processes.
In February, Judge Glenn Goosen ruled that by May 31 the department had to provide adequate furniture to enable each child at the identified schools to have their own reading and writing space.
He declared the South African government and the provincial and national education departments to be in breach of Eastern Cape public school pupils’ right to a basic education by consistently failing to provide them with adequate school furniture.
Goosen warned that if they did not meet his order they would have to explain their failure directly to the court.
March 25, the Dispatch reported on millions of rands worth of neglected school desks that lay in storage:
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