TO: ALL MEDIA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: 11 JANUARY 2023
Committee concerned about unplaced leaners in Gauteng
The Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Education is pleased that the first day of the 2023 academic year commenced without major glitches in majority of schools in Gauteng, but remains concerned about the number of unplaced learners in the Province.
The Committee is of the view that one day of no schooling for a learner is one day too many and more efforts should be made to avoid situations where schools reopen while some learners still have no schools to go to.
The Chairperson of the Committee Honourable Joe Mpisi said “We acknowledge that the department has put plans in place to address pressure and overcrowding, however the challenges of the unplaced learners in some schools pose a potential risk of school disruptions and delay effective leaning and teaching in those schools.
“It is concerning that the challenges of the unplaced learners in some schools remain unresolved each year schools re opened, we therefore call on the department to improve the system so that we don’t have glitches and same challenges recurring every year, said Chairperson Mpisi.
“We call on the former model C schools to open doors for other races and in particular Afrikaans medium schools to accommodate English speaking learners to ensure that schools are accessed by all learners and not based on the race or language, said the Chairperson Mpisi.
“The Committee also notes the existing challenges of classroom infrastructure and calls on the department to speed up the process of infrastructure renovations as well as maintenance to be carried out to in schools in the province to ease overcrowding, said the Chairperson Mpisi.
We call on communities to work with SGB’s and the department to fight vandalism of the schools in their area, members of communities must protect their schools because it is their institutions that they should guard safely and jealousy and not allowed criminals to destroy the future of the learners, said Chairperson.
We also call on members of the community, teachers, SGB’s to work together to ensure that effective teaching and learning takes place without disruptions in the schools said Chairperson Mpisi.
ENDS
ISSUED BY GAUTENG LEGISLATURE MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOILO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION HONOURABLE JOE MPISI
For interview requests with the Chairperson please contact Takalani Ndou on 079 500 9295 or email tndou@gpl.gov.za
