Hypocritical ANC closes over 3000 schools across the country

23 March 2017

The DA will today submit parliamentary questions to find out whether the closing of 3 257 schools across seven ANC-governed provinces over the next three years, will follow due and proper processes.

Currently, education departments across the country have or will be embarking on rationalising schools:

41 schools in Mpumalanga

50 schools in the Northern Cape

73 schools in Limpopo

93 schools in the Free State

233 schools in the North West

865 schools in KwaZulu-Natal

1 902 schools in the Eastern Cape

Rationalisation is the practice of discontinuing schools that have become unviable due to a number of reasons, including a decline in enrolment , as set out in a national Department of Basic Education document called Guidelines for the Rationalisation of Small and Non-viable Schools, while balancing this with the right to basic education in terms of Section 29(1) (a) of the Constitution. The closure of schools is aimed at improving the quality of education and accelerating the resourcing of schools.

In 2012, when the WCED earmarked 27 schools for rationalisation, it was decided to close 20 schools after the WCED actively engaged with stakeholders as prescribed by law. After protracted litigation, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in the WCED’s favour in 2014.

Yet, the ANC led protest marches, petitions and even reported the Western Cape government to the South African Human Rights Commission, which can only be described as political opportunism on the part of the ruling party. The hypocritical ANC continuously criticised the WCED for following due process.

Yet, within an ANC-governed Eastern Cape, where the education system is already in disarray, nearly 2000 schools are about to be closed.

Should the replies to our questions confirm that proper processes were not followed, the DA will investigate all avenues to ensure the provincial departments are held accountable.

The blatant double standards of the ANC government is unacceptable. The same fervour which the ANC used to condemn the Western Cape’s school rationalisation should be applied to the actions of its very own government.

Issued by Nomsa Marchesi, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Basic Education, 23 March 2017