Cape Town - The DA has called on Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to provide quality education from the first years of schooling, but the department has accused the DA of being mischievous.
In a statement on Tuesday, Annette Lovemore, the DA’s spokeswoman on Basic Education, said it had noted Motshekga’s “twin-pronged attempt” to improve education acquired by the time pupils matriculate.
Motshekga has indicated she intends to scrap a policy which stipulates pupils may fail only once between Grades 10 to 12. She plans to make it a requirement that maths (and not mathematical literacy) be mandatory for pupils studying accounting, economics, geography, technology, life science, agricultural science and natural science.
“The Department of Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga has explained that the changes are part of the drive to improve the quality of education, and suggested that, in addition to these changes, the matric pass requirements might well increase in a few years’ time.”
Lovemore said the DA wanted Motshekga to make clear pronouncements on a number of things, including how she planned to ensure that every child taking maths was taught by a competent teacher.
The party also wanted to know how she would address the learning deficit that manifested in the final three years of schooling that began in the first three years of school.
“Minister Motshekga simply cannot improve the quality of education by starting at the end. She needs to start at the beginning. But, for those learners who are now nearing the end of their school careers, the minister must obviously do all that she can.”
Mhlanga said the DA knew exactly what the department was doing to address the issues as it attended education portfolio committee meetings. “They are trying to attract attention and it is nothing more than political point scoring.”
He said plans to improve education in the first years of schooling included a national curriculum framework for children younger than 4, which the department planned to start rolling out from next year.
Cape Argus