Alex residents have been urged to convene a summit to assess and devise means and strategies to address challenges besetting education in the township.
This was a unanimously agreed proposition by stakeholders including parents, department of education officials and the MEC for Finance Barbara Creecy on behalf of her counterpart MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi. They had gathered at Sankopano Community Centre to discuss the way forward for education in the township.
Although Alexandra’s five secondary schools improved their matric pass rate in 2015 compared with the previous year, lingering concerns remain about the quality of education, the pass rate, the lack of adequate facilities and infrastructure.
Also of concern was the lack of common purpose among stakeholders on how to improve the quality of education in the township compared to better-performing schools in other areas.
The proposal follows a similar request made last year by the Joburg East District director for education, Mnyamezeli Ndevu, who suggested the summit should also address the delay in registering children for school, security in schools and the role of school governing bodies.
Creecy said by holding the summit it would enable residents to interrogate issues on the desired quality of education, define and commit parents to their responsibilities in the education of their children, and help them understand the importance of testing and remediation for teachers and children.
She urged residents to develop 10-year reviewable plans for their schools to give them targets to achieve.
