Parliament, Friday, 29 November 2024 – The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences, and Creative Industries, Mr Makhi Feni, has welcomed announcement from Afrikaans Movement Solidarity and the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, that they were finding each other with government on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act clauses they considered problematic.
Mr Feni said government must move to unrestricted implementation of the legislation.
He said: “This is a good piece of legislation. The 6th administration did a marvellous work around the Bill.” Mr Feni called on the Department of Transport in consultation with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to move and make regulations of vehicles that will transport children in 2025.
“This is an important function that requires proactive approach particularly as the scholar transport related to Early Childhood Development (ECD). The ECD function was successfully transferred to the DBE this year, and caring for young children of ECD going age requires special care, and training for people who will take care of children.”
Mr Feni said it would be ideal if scholar transport for ECD should be taken away from taxi operators who are not trained in working with children and be made a school responsibility. “We need to protect our children through spelling out exactly what qualifying vehicles, registered drivers and carers, as well as the pick-up times for ECD. This function seriously requires thinking, there is too much recklessness and accidents caused by minibus taxi operators that resulted in a number of children dying this year.”
Mr Feni said the transportation of ECD children is not about moving children from one point to the other, but taking every precaution to make sure our children are taken care of and are empowered through quality treatment.
“We have seen transport not pitching at some schools and some drivers pitching up drunk. These should be things of the past and should be the responsibility of the school and not taxi operators,” reiterated Mr Feni.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SCIENCES, AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, MR MAKHI FENI.
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