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PHUTI MOSOMANE
GREATER uMgungundlovu District Municipality residents in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) expressed their concerns about the ongoing process of school rationalization in the province.
A significant number of residents were particularly opposed to clause 13 of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, which outlines the procedure for merging small and non-viable public schools.
These concerns were shared with the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education during the second of three public hearings on the Bill held at the Grange Community Hall in Pietermaritzburg over the weekend.
The residents overwhelmingly rejected the Bill, emphasizing that the merger of schools would compromise the right of learners to receive a quality education from schools in close proximity to their homes.
Participants highlighted the potential risks associated with transporting young children to schools located far away as a result of the mergers. They pointed out previous tragic accidents involving learner transport, underscoring the dangers involved.
Parents argued that instead of closing schools with low student enrolment, the Department of Basic Education should provide adequate support to help these schools thrive.
Furthermore, the participants also expressed their belief that the closure of non-viable schools and the excessive regulation of home-schooling would have little positive impact on improving the public education system. They cautioned that these measures could potentially discourage skilled educators from remaining in the basic education sector.
Tiny Lebelo, an Equal Education Researcher, shared the perspective that school mergers can be advantageous if the Department of Basic Education has comprehensive plans in place to ensure transportation and adequate resources for the merged schools.
“Merging is good provided the government makes available reliable and safe scholar transport especially in rural provinces such as KZN. So, the government must ensure that these things are met before moving learners, ensuring that they will still benefit from school nutrition programmes as well. However if the department is merging schools for the sake of merging them, it would indeed deprive learners of their right to education,” said Lebelo.
Additionally, some parents expressed their rejection of clause 37, with home-schooling parents arguing that the proposed provisions aimed to undermine the natural authority of parents in making decisions about their children’s education.
Furthermore, certain parents raised security concerns regarding the implementation of clause 37 (2) (b) (iii) and (3), which propose assessments by competent assessors and site visits. They believed that these measures would expose families to criminal elements and potentially promote crime.
These parents called for alternative measures to ensure accountability within the home-schooling system.
They believed that the current regulations in the Children’s Act adequately regulated the home-schooling environment and requested the complete removal of clause 37.
On the other hand, participants who supported the Bill argued that the regulation of home-schooling, as proposed in the Bill, would ensure equity within the public schooling system and prevent the emergence of a two-tiered education system.
While the majority of participants rejected the sale of alcohol in schools, citing concerns about promoting substance abuse in a country already grappling with that issue, there were some who expressed partial support for the Bill.
They raised concerns about specific clauses, such as clause 14, which they believed should be reconsidered to ensure that the Bill effectively achieves its objectives. They believed that the current wording of the clause, which requires the submission of financial interests, could deter potential School Governing Body members from volunteering.
The public hearing experienced a change in venue due to a double-booking of the initially secured hall.
The committee apologized for the inconvenience and assured participants that efforts were made to transport everyone to the new venue to ensure their participation in the hearings.
Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, the Chairperson of the committee, expressed gratitude to the municipality for providing an alternative hall nearby the Pietermaritzburg Town Hall, which was filled to capacity during the hearings.
The committee concluded the hearings in KwaZulu-Natal with a session at the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality on Sunday.
INSIDE EDUCATION
