The following is an extract from a speech delivered by DA NMB Mayoral Candidate, Athol Trollip, to parents at an education crisis public meeting in Bethelsdorp last night, 26 January 2016. Education is the key to opportunity. Without it, our young people face an uncertain future. In a country with spiralling unemployment, it is ludicrous that this ANC government continues to get basic education so terribly wrong. It is abundantly clear that the ANC is imploding as we now see ANC public … [Read more...] about Poor quality education destroys opportunities
education
Furniture task team for Eastern Cape
The Mthatha High Court on Tuesday ordered the department of basic education to form a "furniture task team" to deal with the issue of a lack of grade and age appropriate furniture in Eastern Cape schools, the Legal Resource Centre (LRC) said. The department was also ordered to assess school furniture needs of all schools in the province and deliver all of it by April next year, LRC spokesperson Claire Martens said in a statement The order was made by agreement between Basic Education … [Read more...] about Furniture task team for Eastern Cape
Dispute between PE parents and education officials disrupts learning
Dispute between PE parents & education officials disrupts learning: Several high level meetings, led by the Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle and Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Danny Jordaan, have been held to resolve the issue. Parents are demanding the department hire more teachers and address overcrowding. Phumulo Masualle - Read more on Eyewitness News Controversial toll road through the Wild Coast gets the go-ahead: A delegation led by Nkwinti‚ which included Transport Minister … [Read more...] about Dispute between PE parents and education officials disrupts learning
UDDI bolsters support for Maths and Science in the Metro
In a move to assist schools in the Uitenhage-Despatch region with improving their pass rate; the Uitenhage Despatch Development Initiative (UDDI) has committed to intensifying its curriculum support programmes it offers to maths and science learners in the metro. UDDI Chief Executive Officer Patricia Dlamini made this pledge at Zanolwazi Secondary School in Khayamnandi [Despatch] as the organisation formed part of the delegation which visited eight schools in the metro last week. Led by … [Read more...] about UDDI bolsters support for Maths and Science in the Metro
1 665 Vacant East Cape Teaching Posts – applications invited
The Eastern Cape Education Department is inviting professionally qualified educators to apply for employment to fill the 1 665 level 1 vacant posts in its 23 districts. The department on Monday said the invitation to apply for posts is a bid to address the educator shortage and fill substantive vacant posts in the province. The invitation includes qualified educators who are employed by School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and private schools who have an interest to join the public … [Read more...] about 1 665 Vacant East Cape Teaching Posts – applications invited
Collapsing education system fuelling NMB unemployment crisis
Dear MyPE Our people are being plunged into perpetual hopelessness by an unemployment crisis that leaves more and more people without work every single day. As I walked the streets of KwaZakhele with Mmusi Maimane yesterday morning, I was again faced with the brutal reality that our most vulnerable communities continue to go without adequate education and proper service delivery. The recent provincial matric pass rate decline of 10% confirms my belief that the provincial department of … [Read more...] about Collapsing education system fuelling NMB unemployment crisis
Eastern Cape is a ‘failed state’
When it comes to education, the Eastern Cape is a failed state. That's according to education economist Dr Nic Spaull. Spaull said on Wednesday that, while inequalities in terms of resources contributed to the disparities between pass rates, the effectiveness of poorer provinces also had to be assessed. The 2015 national pass rate fell to 70.7%, from 75.8% in 2014. The Western Cape was the best performing province, with an 84.7% pass rate. The worst performing province was the … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape is a ‘failed state’
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
Eastern Cape’s 2016 school readiness in doubt
The Eastern Cape will not meet the end of October deadline for the procurement of their workbooks and school textbooks, Parliament's committee for basic education was told on Tuesday. "In the Eastern Cape things are running a month behind schedule, but we are monitoring [it]," said Palesa Tyobeka the Basic Education Department's deputy director general for planning. Delivering textbooks on time was a sore point for the department when textbooks were not delivered on time in Limpopo in … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape’s 2016 school readiness in doubt
The more graduates, the greater your economic growth
If South Africa does not pay sufficient attention to the higher education sector and its cost, it will be doing so at its "very great peril". So said senior research fellow at think-tank Trade Collective and political economist Liepollo Lebohang Pheko, who told News24 on Tuesday that a country's advancement is directly linked to the number of graduates and especially post-graduates its higher education system produced. "I've been saying this for the past couple of weeks. There is a … [Read more...] about The more graduates, the greater your economic growth
CDC improves infrastructure at 10 KZN schools
Education infrastructure in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province has improved and thousands of children are being taught in renovated and upgraded schools in the region. The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) and KZN Department of Education partnered to improve infrastructure at 10 schools in the region. The Department of Basic Education’s Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) programme aims to eradicate the backlog in schools without water, sanitation infrastructure … [Read more...] about CDC improves infrastructure at 10 KZN schools
How Varsity Students can make a positive impact with #FeesMustFall
It is a given that the state of BASIC EDUCATION is in a mess. It is a given that sacrifice is a top-down, parent-child, teacher-student, old-young equation. It is a given that a pyramid is only as strong as it's base. It is a given that the educational infrastructure is a finite resource dependant upon taxpayer money to survive. The real concern is that in order to appease the protesting students large amounts of money will need to be shifted from one area of our countries budget to … [Read more...] about How Varsity Students can make a positive impact with #FeesMustFall
Coega an institution for growth and learning
COEGA Development Corporation (CDC) has enrolled 185 new graduates into internship programmes - 166 in the Eastern Cape and 19 in KwaZulu-Natal - of which 68 have already moved into permanent employment within the organisation. “CDC plays a pivotal role in the development of young people in the EC and country at large by introducing a myriad of training initiatives that are aimed at positioning aspiring professionals favourably for employment in the corporate world,” said Zola Ngoma, CDC’s unit … [Read more...] about Coega an institution for growth and learning
Alleged interference by top EC politicians in tendering process
Dear MyPE It was reported on Saturday how the Eastern Cape acting HOD of Education and former head of Treasury were secretly recorded discussing the awarding of a tender worth millions to persons close to a top politician in the province. Education MEC must come clean about alleged interference by top EC politicians in tendering process Education MEC Mandla Makupula must come clean about a Saturday Dispatch exposé about alleged interference by top politicians in the tendering process in … [Read more...] about Alleged interference by top EC politicians in tendering process
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
