Civil society organisation Equal Education yesterday staged a protest outside the provincial office of the Department of Education in Zwelitsha, to draw attention to its failure to effectively implement the Regulations Relating to Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure (“Norms and Standards”).
Civil society organisation Equal Education yesterday staged a protest outside the provincial office of the Department of Education in Zwelitsha, to draw attention to its failure to effectively implement the Regulations Relating to Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure (“Norms and Standards”).
They did so by holding up photographs of some of the terrible conditions endured by learners throughout the province – especially when it comes to poor sanitation and crumbling buildings Sunday 29 November was the second anniversary of Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga promulgating the Norms and Standards.
The Norms and Standards’ first deadline is 29 November 2016. By this time, all schools made of mud, wood, asbestos or zinc must be eradicated and schools without water, electricity, or sanitation must also be supplied by this date.
In a June 2015 statement, Equal Education said the Eastern Cape Department of Education had released a plan and accompanying project list for the implementation of the Norms and Standards. However, several key areas of information were inaccurate or completely missing, the organisation said.
"In the last year, the Equal Education Eastern Cape office has visited 44 schools throughout Mthatha, Matatiele, Maluti, Butterworth, Grahamstown, East London, Dutywa, Libode and Keiskammahoek, and engaged with 79 others in our work," said Lumkile Zani, the organisation's head in the Eastern Cape.
"Almost no schools have been informed about the Norms and Standards, or [told]that many have been budgeted for in the department’s infrastructure plans. "Requests from the Department and district offices to provide updated and accurate information on the construction and refurbishment of schools have been ignored. Meanwhile, thousands of learners across the province are suffering."
The photo exhibition staged on Monday 30 November was to mark the one-year deadline. "The purpose of the exhibition is to remind the Eastern Cape Education Department and the country that learners throughout the province continue to experience conditions at their schools that are unsafe, inhumane, and not conducive to learning," Zani said.
Equal Education listed their demands of the Department of Education as follows:
* The ECDoE must account for and amend the schools that are inaccurately listed on its priority list. These amendments must be publicised widely through departmental memoranda. Affected schools and communities in particular must be informed.
* As the law prescribes, an audit must be conducted to ensure that additional schools that meet the Norms and Standards criteria are added to the provincial plans. Where audits have been undertaken, information must be made public and shared with interested and affected stakeholders.
* The ECDoE must provide details of the schools that it has completed to date and provide revised estimates for the remaining school construction that must be completed by November 29th, 2016 according to the Regulations.
Equal Education describes itself as a movement of learners, parents, teachers and community members "working for quality and equality in South African education, through analysis and activism".
