Cape Town - The Congress of SA Students (Cosas) in the Western Cape is calling for a shutdown of the province’s schools on July 22, and is accusing Education MEC Debbie Schäfer of disregarding grievances by pupils.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Cosas provincial chairman Michael Mayalo said the organisation wanted Schäfer to step down, adding that several issues affecting pupils, including corporal punishment, were not being addressed effectively.
He called on all pupils to stay away from school on July 22 and to go to Mew Way Hall in Khayelitsha instead.
The plan was to present a memorandum of grievances to Schäfer at the hall.
Cosas’s two main grievances were the provincial Education Department’s collaboration schools project and that some teachers were continuing to use corporal punishment.
Last year, the Cape Argus reported that the department was testing a new model of school, called collaboration schools, where donors, made up of a group of private foundations, played a significant role.
The project has also raised the ire of the SA Democratic Teachers Union, which has accused the department of using taxpayers’ money to privatise schools.
Mayalo said Cosas had met Schäfer about their grievances over corporal punishment, but it continued to be a problem.
Schäfer’s spokeswoman Jessica Shelver said: “We agree that corporal punishment is unacceptable and deal with all cases referred”.
She said Cosas had raised one issue of corporal punishment with Schäfer at a meeting in April and this had been dealt with.
“If Cosas are aware of any other issues, they are well aware that the minister has an open door policy and we would urge them to bring those matters to our attention instead of grandstanding.”
She said the collaboration schools pilot project “is working extremely well for our disadvantaged learners who are benefitting from it”.
Cape Argus