ADVOCACY group Equal Education (EE) has slated the provincial Education Department’s proposed amendments to the Education Act, calling it constitutionally suspect and contrary to the spirit of democracy.
The six policy decisions the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is considering include amendments to allow for the principal or governing body to approve the sale or use of alcohol on school premises; a collaboration school model that allows for donor-funded public schools; and the establishment of a Provincial Schools Evaluation Authority, which will conduct independent assessments.
Equal Education general secretary Tshepo Motsepe said on Wednesday, the policies were not in touch with a democratic South Africa.
“The proposed amendments ought to be scrapped in their entirety. One that is particularly troubling is the introduction of collaboration schools.
“So-called collaboration and donor-funded schools are in effect privately run public schools. ‘School operating partners’ and ‘donors’ will be allowed to have majority representation on school governing bodies.
“The MEC will be able to force schools to become collaboration schools without the agreement of SGBs or parents,” Motsepe said.
He has also called on national Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to intervene.
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer’s spokesperson, Jessica Shelver, said: “The MEC has queried on what basis EE thinks that the bill is ‘unlikely to improve educational outcomes’.
“The MEC rejects the statement that improving opportunities in education for poor learners is against the spirit of democracy – it is completely within the spirit of democracy.”
Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said Motshekga was not informed about the proposals