Lesufi’s proposed changes to school regulations threaten future of Gauteng schools
16 August 2018
AfriForum, the Skoleondersteuningsentrum (SOS) and Solidarity today announced at a media conference on the proposed changes to Gauteng school regulations for 2019 that these organisations believe these changes may possibly be inconsistent with the Constitution and that it would limit school governing bodies’ powers to successfully manage schools.
With the proposed changes to the school regulations published on 30 July 2018 in the Government Gazette, Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng MEC for Education, wants to obtain complete control over the placement of learners in schools. If these changes are accepted, school communities will no longer have any say in the language of and admissions to their schools. This will amount to the hijacking of Gauteng schools.
“Eighty per cent of South African schools are already dysfunctional. Changing the school regulations will only lead to further dysfunctionality, as the state is unfit to successfully govern schools. For this reason, AfriForum today sent a letter to Angie Motshekga, Minister of Education, in which we demand the removal of Lesufi and the appointment of a new MEC for Education who will act in the interest of quality education and learner wellbeing – and not for selfish political gains,” says Carien Bloem, AfriForum’s Coordinator for Education.
If the school regulations are changed, all applications, placements and managing will be controlled centrally through the online system and by department officials. The organisations believe that this will amount to a dictatorship over schools, which is inconsistent with the democratic system that the Constitution and the South African Schools Act have in mind.