Cape Town - The “mother of all marches” is being planned by the Congress of South African Students on Friday against the proposed School Education Amendment Bill which the group said is reminiscent of the “dop system”.
The bill which was proposed by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to legalise the sale of alcohol at schools states that School Governing Bodies (SGB) and school heads will take responsibility for an exception on the alcohol provision at fundraising events at their discretion.
According to the Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, the proposed amendment will not be a blanket permission for schools to sell alcohol, as it will be subject to conditions, however, Cosas said the bill will negatively impact school children.
“It is our believe as Cosas that the DA is anti-developmental in approach and does not care for the future of an African child who will mostly be affected by this bill but we are also not surprised because it’s merely continuing with colonial mentality of the ‘dop system’.
“We want to ask our parents on why are they so silent when politicians want to destroy the lives of their children.
“We had a meeting to call on all organisations to join Cosas in an effort to repel this bill before it is legislated,” read a statement issued by Cosas.
It continued saying Cosas is calling on all parents, teachers and students to help take the matter to court, as they are preparing learners across the province to fight against what they deem to be “an attack on their future”.
Schäfer said Cosas did not understand the bill which is designed to ban alcohol from school premises.
“This is the most ridiculous, inaccurate distortion of the Education Amendment Bill I have seen thus far. It’s clear that they do not understand the Bill, which is groundbreaking in education.
“The alcohol issue is only one issue that is dealt with in the Bill, and is designed to ban alcohol from school premises, except if a SGB or principal applies for permission from the head of department, who may decline or grant it, for adult events on school premises after hours,” said Schäfer.
Schäfer said the analogy to the dop system is ludicrous and said SGBs are responsible for governing their schools and must exercise the amendment, if accepted, responsibility in the interests of their particular school and community.
* Cosas will march on Friday morning at 10.30m from Keizersgracht Street.
@IamAthinaMay