Dear MyPE The Eastern Cape MEC for Education must resign and spare the province from another year of self-denial and failure. MEC Mandla Makapula continues to turn a blind eye to the shortcomings in his department. The matric pass rate for 2015 has dropped below the 60 % mark for the first time in four years, to 56.8 % despite the MEC's prediction of a 75 % pass rate. I am bitterly disappointed with these results. They are much worse than I expected. Education is the ticket out of the … [Read more...] about Blind education MEC must resign
edmund van vuuren
No high school for Port Alfred learners
Dear MyPE A total of 57 Grade 9 learners from Station Hill in Port Alfred will not continue on to their high school careers next year, because there is no school for them to go to. Despite a community march in April calling for a high school in Station Hill, where I received a petition signed by 600 residents and which I forwarded to Education MEC Mandla Makupula, as well as numerous follow-ups and parliamentary questions, the department has done little to relieve the plight of these … [Read more...] about No high school for Port Alfred learners
MEC must reconsider latest teacher post cuts
Dear MyPE Eastern Cape education MEC Mandla Makupula must reconsider his decision to "hold back" 4 000 teacher posts in 2016. This is in addition to the 1 049 posts that have been cut in terms of the post provisioning for 2016, as was announced by the MEC on 30 September. The DA's vision for the future is that education in the Eastern Cape must be improved, to enable more young South Africans to take advantage of opportunities. To achieve this, we need a system that is free from teacher … [Read more...] about MEC must reconsider latest teacher post cuts
Good Luck for Matric Finals Class of 2015
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance would like to wish all of the Grade 12 learners well as they embark on their exams which begin on Monday, 26 October 2015. We wish them success and believe that they will represent the Eastern Cape well. There have been numerous demotivating situations that our learners have had to endure this year; such as: Severe teacher shortages within many schools. Overcrowded classrooms which are not conducive for teaching and learning. Unpleasant learning … [Read more...] about Good Luck for Matric Finals Class of 2015
Give the money to schools to do their own procurement
Dear MyPE Reports that the Eastern Cape Department of Education does not have the money to pay the Publishers’ Association of South Africa (Pasa) for textbooks for next year, is just another example of the general implosion of this department. The DA believes that money for learner-teacher support material (LTSM) must be ring-fenced by the department and be given to schools to do their own procurement. In the past the majority of schools showed that they had the capability to procure … [Read more...] about Give the money to schools to do their own procurement
Permanency for Professionally qualified practitioners
Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) commends the Department of Education (DOE) for issuing memorandum 35 of 2015 which states that professionally qualified practitioners can be appointed permanently in mainstream school systems with effect from 1 April 2015. Grade R practitioners who have obtained professional education qualifications will now be absorbed into substantive vacant posts within the education system. It is incumbent upon the principals of schools to inform … [Read more...] about Permanency for Professionally qualified practitioners
1 049 Less teachers for EC as pupils increase
Dear MyPE The DA is disappointed with the announcement made by education MEC Mandla Makupula in the Bhisho legislature yesterday that the post provisioning for 2016 is 1 049 teachers less than in 2015. The logic behind this decision is questionable, as the learner-enrolment in the province as increased from 1,8 million in 2014 to 1,89 million in 2015. The DA's vision for the future is that education in the Eastern Cape must be improved, to enable more young South Africans to take … [Read more...] about 1 049 Less teachers for EC as pupils increase
MEC pays lip service to education crisis in Northern Areas
Dear MyPE In light of the closure of schools by parents in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth since Monday, the DA believes that stakeholders must stop blaming each other and start finding solutions. I have made proposals in the past to MEC for education in the Eastern Cape, Hon. Mandla Makupula, to alleviate the shortage of teachers in the Eastern Cape. My proposals were completely disregarded as MEC Makupula only paid lip service and didn't act on it. Had the MEC considered my … [Read more...] about MEC pays lip service to education crisis in Northern Areas
PE Northern Areas school closures
Dear MyPE The DA commends the Eastern Cape Department of Education for the efforts it has made in reducing the number of vacant posts in the Port Elizabeth district and we urge schools, especially in the northern areas to keep parents informed of these improvements. The closure of schools by parents in the northern areas of Port Elizabeth since Monday is not in the interest of the education of our children. Out of a total of 121 posts that were approved by the department for the Port … [Read more...] about PE Northern Areas school closures
EC teachers not paid since January
Dear MyPE It has come to my attention that a large number of newly appointed teachers have not been paid since January 2015. My office has been reliably informed that 63 teachers in the Graaff-Reinet district and a multitude of teachers in the Cradock and Port Elizabeth districts also did not have their salaries paid. The top-heavy bureaucracy in Bhisho is gobbling up too many resources. What kind of administration does not pay its teachers? The current system, under the ANC, is not … [Read more...] about EC teachers not paid since January
DA spring cleans Northern Areas
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Areas of PE has continued with their excellent work of spring cleaning its wards severely neglected by the municipality. Recent successful clean-ups of wards 12, 37 and 38 were met with much delight from community members. Spearheaded by DA constituency leader for the Northern Areas, Edmund van Vuuren MPL, and ward councillor, Sandra Fillis, the DA embarked on ward 32 for its spring clean this morning. This clean-up initiative in the Northern … [Read more...] about DA spring cleans Northern Areas
Education Department congratulated on swanky new Jeffrey’s Bay school
Dear MyPE The DA congratulates and thanks the department of education for the swanky new R75-million high school in Jeffrey's Bay. After seven years the Jeffrey's Bay Comprehensive High School will welcome 454 learners when its doors open on 14 April 2015 for learners. This is a parallel-medium school built for 800 learners which will negate the transport issues learners have had to deal with in the past in order to get to school in Humansdorp. I visited the school yesterday and I am … [Read more...] about Education Department congratulated on swanky new Jeffrey’s Bay school
Deafening silence from Zwelitsha education head office
Dear MyPE Only a deafening silence has been coming from the head office of the Department of Education in Zwelitsha since last week. Officials are not picking up telephones nor are emails being responded to. This is leading to huge frustration and anger across the board. Our province is crying out for an improvement in the education system, yet no services are currently being rendered by the department. The offices of the DA in Bhisho have been flooded with phone calls from … [Read more...] about Deafening silence from Zwelitsha education head office
Teachers vacancies must be filled for success in 2015
Dear MyPE There are still 5 103 vacancies in schools in the Eastern Cape, of which 1 465 are in secondary schools. Teacher vacancies in the province must be filled to ensure a successful academic year in 2015. The DA commends the provincial Department of Education for extending the contracts of 566 temporary educators until 31 March 2015. We demand that those temporary teachers who qualify and who meet the conditions of the vacant post that they are currently in, be permanently … [Read more...] about Teachers vacancies must be filled for success in 2015
Late learner admissions frustrate start of school year
Dear MyPE Parents who did not respond to requests last year to ensure that their children are enrolled in schools timeously are frustrating efforts to kick off the 2015 school year successfully. The provincial Department of Education indicated at a briefing meeting on Monday, 19 January 2015 that it would be concentrating on five indicators for school readiness, which include progress on learner admissions, delivery of learner-teacher support material, infrastructure challenges, teacher … [Read more...] about Late learner admissions frustrate start of school year
