The biggest teacher unions in the country will oppose a decision by the Western Cape executive to run the education system like it’s an “independent state”.
This comes as the provincial executive approved the Western Cape Provincial School Education Amendment Bill, which will now go to the legislature.
The changes mean that:
– Schools may permit the sale and consumption of alcohol on public school premises or at a school activity if they are granted permission by the Head of Department (HOD).
– Pupils found guilty of serious misconduct may be sent to intervention facilities.
– Education MECs may establish a School Evaluation Authority which will independently evaluate schools and develop school evaluation reports.
– Provisions have been made for the establishment of collaboration schools and donor-funded schools.
The National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA (Naptosa) president, Basil Manuel, said the intervention facilities “harken back to the dark days of reform schools” and the “sale of alcohol at schools, in a province beset by alcohol abuse, and the dark history of the ‘dop system’, is simply failing to recognise the real social ills in our school communities.”
It also ignored religious systems, which is absolutely repugnant, Manuel said.
Naptosa will approach the Education Labour Relations Council to urgently intervene. “The Western Cape cannot operate as if it is an independent state. This ‘gung-ho’ attitude is placing a greater burden on teachers from the Western Cape,” Manuel said.
South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) national general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said donor-funded schools signalled the
privatisation of education, and meant the professional judgement of teachers would be undermined and outsourced to private companies.
Teacher development is the only intervention that will guarantee children quality teaching and learning, Maluleke said.
“Collaboration schools follow the example of academy schools, like in the US and UK. Respectfully, this won’t work in a developing nation. We still need more dedicated resources to empower communities, teachers, school leadership and our learners, and outsourcing governance to private institutions will only undermine the right to education.
“We are dealing with abuse of alcohol in our country and we cannot see why schools should be allowed to sell alcohol. We have objected to this approach in our submission to the proposal, and we now look into the next step - the legal route - to challenge this reactionary government,” Maluleke said.
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said she was pleased with the approval and the amendments would enhance pupil achievement and promote educational outcomes in the province.
She plans to pilot one intervention facility by the end of this year, as an alternative to expelling pupils.
Schäfer said the development of the School Evaluation Authority had received private funding for a project manager and staff training, and the department had piloted it in
42 schools already.
When it comes to selling alcohol at schools, schools must apply in writing to the HOD, who can authorise a governing body or principal to permit the sale or consumption of alcohol.
Schäfer said permission was subject to conditions imposed by the Western Cape Liquor Act.
“It is my hope that the Western Cape Provincial School Education Amendment Bill will contribute toward improving education outcomes and ensuring that systems of learning and excellence in education are put in place, in a manner that respects, protects, promotes and fulfils the right to basic education enshrined in Section 29(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” Schäfer said.
The proposed amendments were put forward in August, and are open for public comment. The department of Basic Education is expected to respond today.