SEBOKENG. – “The Peter Morkel model research must be abolished!” This was the core of the mini-demonstration by the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) on Thursday at the Department of Education, Sedibeng West District Offices.
The demonstration was in clear support of the view that public schools will never be better than private schools because of the one teacher-to-forty pupils model: “The Peter Morkel Model does not represent us public schools.
“The congested classes are not working for public schools. We are going to demonstrate this to the Department of Education and the national office.”
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster Khulu Mntambo, SADTU’s regional secretary said this is not a strike: “We are demonstrating!
“On May 19 we are going to the national office. Minister Angie Motshega and her office should give us a better way to improve the lives of our people,” said Mntambo during the demonstration at Sedibeng West District Offices.
“We face many challenges with the Peter Morkel Model. “We are not even working on it because in some schools, teachers are handling 50 to 70 learners per class,” notes Mntambo. When asked what could cause the overcrowding of learners into their Gauteng system, he answered that the work-related congestion caused by parents resulted in too many learners choking schools.
He said it was normal for Gauteng to pump 30 000 learners into the system every year due to their parents’ work-related issues and parents pouring into the province, inevitably overcrowding schools. “We want the Peter Morkel model reviewed by the Minister of Education,” said an educator.
Mathebula.Mduduzi@media24.com
