More special needs, trade schools on cards for Eastern Cape, says Oscar

The Premier of the Eastern Cape Province, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane greets Vukuhambe Special school’s grade 3 learner, Ayonwaba Dyani, 10, during his back to school visit to the school in Mdantsane where the provincial government announced improve support to schools for learners with special needs.
The Premier of the Eastern Cape Province, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane greets Vukuhambe Special school’s grade 3 learner, Ayonwaba Dyani, 10, during his back to school visit to the school in Mdantsane where the provincial government announced improve support to schools for learners with special needs.
Image: Thabang Maseko

Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane emphasised the importance of special-needs schools while education MEC Fundile Gade expressed the need for skills schools during a tour of several institutions in Buffalo City on Wednesday.

Gade pointed out that the national development plan (NDP), which aims to ensure that all South Africans attain a decent standard of living by 2030, states that the country should produce more than 30,000 qualified artisans a year if the labour demand was to be met.

“The first hurdle is aligning our programmes with the NDP because it requires us to have a particular percentage of artisans.

“We talk of inclusive education and the labour force.

“If we give more space to learners with special needs, we will be able to achieve our objectives,” Gade said.

Mabuyane said skills shortages were an obstacle to economic growth, job creation and business expansion.

“The diversification on our curriculum is important.

“People should understand that the economy does not need matric [passes] but skills.

“We must focus on special and skills school[s].

“We do not want to lose any child and they must all have an opportunity to contribute to the economy.”

As part of his back-to-school programme, Mabuyane has been visiting special-needs schools accommodating pupils with autism, learning difficulties and visual impairments.

The premier’s spokesperson, Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, said the visits were linked to the pronouncements made by Mabuyane during his 2019 state of the province address in which he committed the provincial government to looking  at establishing special schools in Nelson Mandela Bay, BCM and King Sabata Dalindyebo.

There are only three skills schools in the province.

Baysville Special School principal Len Cloete welcomed Mabuyane’s desire for more special needs and skills schools.

The solution to unemployment was for the youth to consider careers as artisans, as there was quicker access to full-time employment, he said.

“You will find our former pupils in most panel-beating workshops.

“Some end up being underwater welders.

“We produce electricians and these pupils are guaranteed jobs.

“Our guys can end up starting their own businesses as they know how to work with their hands.”

Arcadia principal Deanne Pieterse said the school, which was established in 1990, faced many challenges.

“We have children who have acute decompensated heart failure and dyslexia, to name a few problems.

“It is wonderful to hear that all the challenges we have will be addressed by the government.

“It is good that they are focusing on special schools because often we feel isolated.”

Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba visited schools in the Joe Gqabi district, where she donated pots to assist in the preparation of food for pupils.


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