Schooling delayed is schooling denied

12 February 2021

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English & Afrikaans from Priscilla Isaacs, MPL. 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is concerned that the provincial education department remains incapable of finalizing placements before schools re-open.

Yesterday’s legislature briefing on school readiness confirmed that more than 400 learners in grade 1 and nearly 100 learners in grade 8, still don’t know where to go on Monday morning.

The amount of teachers needed by each school will also only be finalized ten days after all placements are done, which means that some classes could be left without teachers until March.

Hundreds of learners who missed valuable academic time last year are now destined to lose even more time while the department plays around with the paperwork. Parents and guardians cannot make arrangements for essentials like uniforms, textbooks, transport, or hostel accommodation until they know where to send their children.

It is further unacceptable for the acting head of department, mr. Sandile Beuzana, to blame parents for the chaos created by his own offices. The 2021 academic year starts so late that there was more than enough time for officials to finalise placements and to fix any problem with online admission systems before schools re-open.

Given the DA’s serious concerns regarding school placements, as well as the impact of the floods on schooling, the DA participated in today's legislature school oversight programme. We will continue to closely monitor the reopening of schools.

We cannot waste a single day of schooling and we cannot wait for this department to wake up to its responsibilities.

Issued by Priscilla Isaacs, DA Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson on Education, 12 February 2021