ANC Youth League (ANCYL) Western Cape calls for action against Provincial Government officials responsible for Maitland High School having to postpone Matric exams due to textbook shortage
25 May 2015
The ANCYL Western Cape has learnt with sadness and disgust that the learners of Maitland High School have been denied the right to write their mid-year matric exams on time due to a shortage of text books owing to gross negligence on the part of the Western Cape Provincial Department of Education (see EWN report).
The Provincial Department of Education failed to deliver textbooks to the school despite the school principal having placed an order for textbooks months ago.
Our ANCYL Provincial Chairperson Muhammad Khalid Sayed says, “This gross negligence and human rights violation on the part of the Provincial Department of Education stems from the same elitist anti-poor and anti-working class Open Opportunity Society attitude which in the previous administration informed the Provincial Government’s attempt to close 27 schools serving poor and working class communities”.
Our Chairperson adds that, “It seems as if academic excellence for learners in working class black communities such as Maitland is not deemed to be a key priority by the Provincial Government. The ANCYL would like to know from the Provincial Department of Education how on earth it expected these learners to study for the exams without textbooks. The delay of exams due to textbook shortages can have major psychological effects on the learners”.
Calling for decisive action on the matter, our Chairperson says, “Not only does the ANCYL call upon the MEC for Education to personally ensure that her officials deliver the textbooks to the school during this week as publically promised; we demand that the department officials responsible for this mess are suspended with immediate effect”.
Whilst the ANCYL in the province welcomes the fact that the Provincial Department of Education are currently investigating the matter, we are of the firm view that the Department must make all the terms of reference for the investigation public as well as the outcomes. The ANCYL also calls upon the Department to ensure that the learners affected are provided with the necessary counselling before and whilst writing their exams.
The ANCYL have been engaging with the learners since their march in the Cape Town CBD. We have informed the learners of our willingness to champion their cause. The learners have welcomed our initiative.
The Department must be fully aware that the ANCYL together with our student movement ally COSAS will closely monitor similar situations at other schools so as to ensure that this never happens again.
Education is our weapon of choice in our generational mission to attain economic freedom in our lifetime.
Statement issued by African National Congress Youth League Western Cape, May 25 2015
