Education is grinding to a standstill in the Eastern Cape following the latest illegal action by Sadtu which has swept across the province this morning. The latest information I have received from the districts is that Sadtu has instructed – and in some cases forced – officials at these offices to vacate the premises.
This behaviour should be condemned by all of us who has the education of our children at heart. By illegally closing these offices numerous school-related issues will not be addressed.
The DA is appealing to the Premier and her Executive to step in and to prevent our education system from dissolving completely. This Executive has not taken any steps since the reopening of the Eastern Cape schools on 9 January to ensure that proper schooling takes place. Madam Premier now is the time for this Executive to stand up and be counted. We are not a banana republic and must never allow one group to trample on the Constitutional rights of another group.
I have today submitted legislature questions to the MEC for Education to explain why he is allowing the district offices to be closed by employees of the department and what he intends to do to resolve this whole issue.
Let us not allow Sadtu to use our children and legitimate institutions to enhance their own agenda in their fight with the Superintendent-General of the department, Adv. Modidima Mannya. Let us put a stop to the impasse between these antagonists.
Edmund van Vuuren, MPL
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The quickest way to cripple a country is to interfere with education. Teachers, parents and the youth need to stand up for education. Young people are our future. We will never shake off poverty if we are not investing in educating our youth. The Eastern Cape is leeting its youth down.
This is so typical. The stories that I have been hearing over the last quarter have shocked me. Dedicated teachers who DO NOT strike have their pay docked and a year or so later have not been reimbursed – so the good teachers are penalised. We need to look after the good teachers and severely punish the rotten ones – Fire them!
The education department is in a shambles, with stories being reported that there has been no electricity in the offices for months and they plan to switch the lights back on in April, so how exactly do they function? Until a top down approach is adopted where leadership is in place, we will continue to have this mess and then we will wonder 12 years down the line why our Matric results are still so dismal – yes, Education Minister, the real Matric results are dismal, no matter how colourful you make the stats.
In the real working world 30% or even 40% efficiency in a job equates as a FAIL and leads to disciplinary action. What are we teaching our children?
There is NOTHING which the ANC have not managed to break in the 18 years of being in power. They were given a well run country, in good state of repair. No wonder the rest of the continent looks like a rubbish dump…