Parliament, Monday, 24 February 2024 – The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education today commenced with its weeklong oversight programme to schools in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) focusing on the lack of budget and overcrowding at schools in the Ugu Education District being described as major concerns. Committee Chairperson Ms Joy Maimela said the committee heard that many projects are on hold and maintenance delayed due to the KZN Education Department’s lack of funds. She said: “This is a concern because we visited a special needs school where the building of new toilets was being delayed indefinitely.”
“We have also noted serious overcrowding. At one school we heard that the Grade R class has 48 learners and some other grades between 58 and 77 learners per class. It is totally unacceptable. We cannot allow this to continue. We need to find urgent solutions for this,” added Ms Maimela.
The committee visited Harding Special School, Nomnandi ECD centre in the Izingolweni area and Nositha Primary School, a farm school. At Harding Special School, the committee was impressed with the neatness and cleanliness of the school. Serious concerns were raised, however, about new sanitation for the school. “We indicated to the MEC that budget constraints without any commitment as to when new toilets can be built, is not good enough,” said Ms Maimela.
The primary purpose of the oversight visit is to assess the state-of-school-readiness for the 2025 academic year. The committee focused on, among other things, learner admissions and Teacher/Learner Ratios, Early Childhood Development, National Senior Certificate 2024 Results and Improvement Plans for 2025 and implantation of curriculum including Coding and Robotics: Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST).
The committee will also focus on Support for Rural Education and Special Schools on provisioning of resources; user-friendly infrastructure; preparing learners for post-school education/entry to workplace Based Learning (WBL) Programmes. Social Cohesion including gender based-violence framework; safety in schools; grooming learners for participation in school sports and talent identification in music eisteddfods is to be assessed.
Learner Teacher Support Material, ICT roll out plans to ensure that all schools have internet connectivity, textbook and laptop retrieval systems; workbooks/stationery procurement and delivery as well as learner transport and National School Nutrition Programme will also be under the spotlight.
The committee applauded the principal of Nositha Primary School for her effort and raising the bar at the school. The committee was, however, shocked to learn that there are 48 learners in a class in Grade R and 77 in Grade 7. “The education of the black child cannot be neglected like this. This is unacceptable,” said Ms Maimela.
She said that after tomorrow’s school visits, the committee will meet with stakeholders including the KZN Department of Education, the national Department of Basic Education, organised labour, the South African Principals’ Association, School Governing Bodies and Traditional learners regarding the findings by the committee and a way forward.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION, MS JOY MAIMELA
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