Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi said he was taken aback by the DA's decision to conduct weekly sporadic visits to different schools under the pretext of “inspections”.
“This is a clear indication that the DA is losing the plot on education matters in our province, and they will do everything to clutch at straws, as the steam train of education and service delivery pulls away, as they remain behind and lost,” Lesufi said.
“It is unfortunate that as they try to find their footing, they will do everything to discredit the good work done by the province, as contained in our midterm report delivered by the premier of Gauteng, David Makhura, three months ago.”
Lesufi said that it was important to note that the portfolio committee on education, which consisted of members of different political parties, had already embarked on more than three assessments on ICT roll-out, infrastructure and school readiness. “We welcome their inspection, as we have nothing to hide; however, it must not be to the detriment of smooth teaching and learning.”
The department advised anyone who intended conducting any inspection not to choose to ignore the positive changes they had made, including visiting the new state-of-the-art schools built since 2014, the first school for pupils with disabilities in a township; the Nokhuthula LSEN School in Alexandra; and schools of specialisation in the townships: the Curtis Nkondo School of Specialisation in Soweto and the Magaliesburg School of Specialisation in Magaliesburg.
The department said they were willing to share reports on the successful matric readiness programmes, how sanitation programmes had been improved in all the no-fee paying schools, and the successful election of SGBs in virtually all the province's schools.
The department urged all schools to open up to political parties and welcome them on their premises, as they conducted their “inspection”.
“We will not be distracted from our work to deliver quality and equal education for all.
"Our focus now, is to implement the Constitutional Court judgment to finally bury the apartheid spatial planning by ensuring all our schools are opened for all. We will accelerate our desire to eradicate all asbestos and mobile schools with our one school per month campaign.”