Plans to merge 171 Limpopo schools put on ice
Some schools considered for mergers had zero learner enrollment at the beginning of the 2017 academic year.
POLOKWANE – The MEC of Education, Ishmael Kgetjepe, said 171 Limpopo schools have previously been listed for mergers but due to the objection of their communities this was put on ice despite a continuous decline in learner enrolment numbers.
He revealed this during a media briefing on Tuesday, 5 December when he discussed the rationalisation of schools.
“Our view is that schools must be epitomes of modern education and we have an obligation to ensure our learners are afforded the best education the country and the province can offer and that our learners are taught by the best educators. The environment in which learners are taught must be safe and secure, they must be taught in line with the prescribed National Curriculum Statement (NCS) curriculum so they can achieve the necessary milestones within the prescribed period. These are the milestones in line with Goal 18, Action Plan 2014, Towards Realisation of Schooling 2025. Learners must also be afforded the necessary resources in the form of Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) as well as norms and standards for funding. Teachers and learners must maximise on teaching and learning to increase literacy and numeracy in South Africa so we can match the global standard,” Kgetjepe said.
He added some of the schools considered for the merger had zero learner enrolment at the beginning of the 2017 academic year.
“One other school had 13 learners. This calls for serious introspection into our education system which is why today marks an important and historical moment in which important decisions are made to turn the tide. “Limpopo embarked on the merger of schools for the first time in 2008 and this serves as our ninth year of giving hope to learners whose schools crippled their future by not living up to the expectations of providing the required standard and competitive education. In these years, we have learnt cooperation and working together will guarantee the success of this project,” he said.
Kgetjepe added through this process of rationalisation, the department has rescued the educators in small schools who were feeling overwhelmed with the workload.
“As a province and a country we have an obligation in terms of United Nations priorities as announced by the former general secretary, Genl Ban Ki-moon, at the 67th session of the General Assembly in New York, America on the 26 September 2012 to ensure we put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and foster global citizenship through education,” he said.
He told BONUS Limpopo has never finalised the process of closing schools and as such the department is embarking on this process for the first time.
“There are 164 schools that have ‘died a natural death’ since 2003 due to various factors such as the relocation of communities and farm schools that lost learners due to the migration of farm labourers,” he concluded.
