While the start of every academic year presents its own challenges the late delivery of textbooks and stationery and the admission of late arrivals have been highlighted as the most concerning as they affect learning and teaching which will impact on the results at the end of the year.
This is according to various political parties who they claimed that the Department of Education has not learnt from its mistakes as it continues to fail learners across the province.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Provincial Chairperson Jossey Buthane alleged that textbooks have not been delivered to schools due to the delay by government printers and reiterated that stationery had not been delivered to most circuits in Riba Cross and Magakala cluster in Sekhukhune.
A slow start and disruptions on the first week have a negative impact on matric results and the overall performance of learners across all grades, he stated. According to Buthane, the department is implementing the rationalisation and redeployment (R and R) process in the first week of schooling which is grossly disrupting teaching and learning.
“The department is working against its own policy of teaching on the first day of school. Temporary mobile classrooms are permanent and not safe for both teachers and learners. There is no political will on the part of government to build additional blocks of classrooms to the schools that experience a shortage. Principals and teachers use classrooms as staff rooms because of a shortage of infrastructure. For instance, Mmasesha Primary School in Dairing, Seshego circuit has only four blocks of classrooms with a staff complement of 27 teachers and learner enrolment of 1 055,” Buthane stated.
He further outlined that institutions of higher learning also had their share of challenges as they failed to register students in the first week and concluded by saying the party had deployed members to various institutions to ensure smooth running of things.
Democratic Allianace (DA) Provincial Leader Jacques Smalle emphasised that the department haven’t been able to deal with placement of late intakes, adding that there is a lot of frustration – especially in the city as parents are still struggling to get their children admitted. He further said they were shocked to find that learners don’t receive sufficient stationery and reiterated that scholar transport were not operational in different parts of the province on the first day of school forcing learners to walk long distances.
Renewed South African Party (RSA.P) National General Secretary Sipho Maluleke commented that the department was seemingly facing a financial crisis causing its failure to deliver textbooks and stationery to schools. He pointed out schools in the Capricorn and Waterberg districts as most affected, adding that he had spoken to several principals who highlighted that they are told by the department to visit the warehouse to collect books that were not inserted in the packages.
“Some schools in the Waterberg started the new academic year without a single book. One official at the department mentioned that the department can’t afford to hire service providers to deliver books to schools. I am planning to approach the department to request a comprehensive report on the delivery of books to schools,” Maluleke explained.
The Congress of the People (Cope) could not be reached for comment. Departmental Spokesperson Sam Makondo said after delivery of stationery and top-up textbooks to schools, the department do mop ups to check if schools have received everything they need. He further stated that they also have to respond to schools requesting for extra material due to an increase in their learner enrolment because some schools are still getting requests for late admissions. Otherwise the process is being managed nicely working with the schools and they are giving the department feedback from time to time.
When asked as to how many learners had enrolled for the 2019 academic year, Makondo indicated that they would know by at least February as capturing of new learners is still going on and other schools are still getting requests for admissions. The first week of schooling went as expected, he stated and added that the department plans accordingly every academic year. There is also a reason why teachers return to school a couple of days before they are joined by learners, it is to ensure that every duck is in a row so that they hit the ground running, Makondo stressed.
Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
