A TOTAL of 310 Eastern Cape schools have been marked for closure in the government gazette after fed-up parents sent their children to receive a better education elsewhere in the country.
This is in addition to 58 schools that have already been closed by the provincial authorities in the past three years.
However, yesterday the announcement angered the provincial South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (Sadtu) and another showdown looms over matters affecting the jobs of teachers.
Officials also face a grilling from opposition parties in Bhisho tomorrow .
The recent figures are contained in a political overview document for the 2013- 2014 budget presented by education MEC Mandla Makupula to the portfolio committee on education in Bhisho recently.
“Unviable schools remain a challenge as well as the uneven schooling prototypes . 310 schools remain unofficially closed and the department has gazetted them in order to comply with legal processes.”
He said 58 schools had been officially closed following proper processes and public hearings to solicit inputs from communities.
Makupula said the department would plan and budget this year, and implement next year, the process of merging junior primary schools with senior primary schools to start from grades R to 7.
The department would also combine junior secondary schools with senior secondary schools.
Some of the schools were dysfunctional and badly-managed resulting in poor results all around.
Others have been left as “white elephants” with teachers having nothing else to do, while some resorted to multi-grade teaching – combinations of pupils from different grades into one – due to dwindling numbers of pupils.
This has led provincial authorities to also launch several interventions this year to rescue severely distressed schools across 10 education districts.
Two specific interventions are under way already to resuscitate learning and teachers partnering with the University of Fort Hare and private companies.
On Tuesday, education boss Mthunywa Ngonzo said it was not schools in rural areas which were crumbling, but government schools in towns were also struggling to attract and retain pupils.
He blamed this on members of the upper and middle classes, including teachers at these schools, who were sending their children to private and former Model C schools for better education.
Yesterday, education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department would release the exact figures and names of the schools at the end of the month which would be closed and merged as part of the rationalisation process.
Mtima said 23 education districts were busy consulting and getting feedback from the communities of affected schools.
“Consultations and public hearings have been finished in 13 districts between 2010 and 2012, while five were done this year and five are outstanding.”
Mtima said the department was also in the process of re-aligning districts with eight municipal boundaries in the province.
“The process of district re-alignment is intertwined with the establishment of a service delivery model and organogram review, and thus far consultation has started which will culminate in the re-alignment of these districts should all stakeholders agree on it during the consultation process,” he said.
When schools have been closed down and others merged, the department will move teachers to schools where their services are needed.
Resolution 6 of 1998 which deals with the transfer of teachers and rationalisation of schools; l Resolution 2 of 2003 which deals with the transfer of teachers based on operational requirements; and l Resolution 3 of 2006 which gives guidance on the process to be followed when grading schools after their merger based on various issues which include the overall number of pupils and teachers.
Sadtu provincial secretary Mncekeleli Ndongeni said he was shocked to learn the department was going ahead with its plans.
“The reason we have engagement at Calata is to avoid chaos and using resolutions blindly without considering contextual factors involved is causing animosity.”
COPE MPL Angela Woodhall said officials would have to explain more on the matter at tomorrow’s meeting.
She said Sadtu would also have to act professionally, rather than politically, to avoid any disruptions in the education system.
DA shadow MEC of education Edmund van Vuuren said the department would have to provide details on what had happened to teachers of closed schools, whose locations were as yet unknown by the education committee. —
Bhisho lists 310 E Cape schools to be closed
This is in addition to 58 schools that have already been closed by the provincial authorities in the past three years.
However, yesterday the announcement angered the provincial South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (Sadtu) and another showdown looms over matters affecting the jobs of teachers.
Officials also face a grilling from opposition parties in Bhisho tomorrow .
The recent figures are contained in a political overview document for the 2013- 2014 budget presented by education MEC Mandla Makupula to the portfolio committee on education in Bhisho recently.
“Unviable schools remain a challenge as well as the uneven schooling prototypes . 310 schools remain unofficially closed and the department has gazetted them in order to comply with legal processes.”
He said 58 schools had been officially closed following proper processes and public hearings to solicit inputs from communities.
Makupula said the department would plan and budget this year, and implement next year, the process of merging junior primary schools with senior primary schools to start from grades R to 7.
The department would also combine junior secondary schools with senior secondary schools.
Some of the schools were dysfunctional and badly-managed resulting in poor results all around.
Others have been left as “white elephants” with teachers having nothing else to do, while some resorted to multi-grade teaching – combinations of pupils from different grades into one – due to dwindling numbers of pupils.
This has led provincial authorities to also launch several interventions this year to rescue severely distressed schools across 10 education districts.
Two specific interventions are under way already to resuscitate learning and teachers partnering with the University of Fort Hare and private companies.
On Tuesday, education boss Mthunywa Ngonzo said it was not schools in rural areas which were crumbling, but government schools in towns were also struggling to attract and retain pupils.
He blamed this on members of the upper and middle classes, including teachers at these schools, who were sending their children to private and former Model C schools for better education.
Yesterday, education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department would release the exact figures and names of the schools at the end of the month which would be closed and merged as part of the rationalisation process.
Mtima said 23 education districts were busy consulting and getting feedback from the communities of affected schools.
“Consultations and public hearings have been finished in 13 districts between 2010 and 2012, while five were done this year and five are outstanding.”
Mtima said the department was also in the process of re-aligning districts with eight municipal boundaries in the province.
“The process of district re-alignment is intertwined with the establishment of a service delivery model and organogram review, and thus far consultation has started which will culminate in the re-alignment of these districts should all stakeholders agree on it during the consultation process,” he said.
When schools have been closed down and others merged, the department will move teachers to schools where their services are needed.
Resolution 6 of 1998 which deals with the transfer of teachers and rationalisation of schools; l Resolution 2 of 2003 which deals with the transfer of teachers based on operational requirements; and l Resolution 3 of 2006 which gives guidance on the process to be followed when grading schools after their merger based on various issues which include the overall number of pupils and teachers.
Sadtu provincial secretary Mncekeleli Ndongeni said he was shocked to learn the department was going ahead with its plans.
“The reason we have engagement at Calata is to avoid chaos and using resolutions blindly without considering contextual factors involved is causing animosity.”
COPE MPL Angela Woodhall said officials would have to explain more on the matter at tomorrow’s meeting.
She said Sadtu would also have to act professionally, rather than politically, to avoid any disruptions in the education system.
DA shadow MEC of education Edmund van Vuuren said the department would have to provide details on what had happened to teachers of closed schools, whose locations were as yet unknown by the education committee. —
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