Public schools best satisfy the needs of the country and its people.
If they were run properly and given the financial support they need, there would be no need for independent schools.
So says executive director of the National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) Basil Manuel in response to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) statement that independent schools serving the poor received a slice of R101 million in subsidies.
Earlier this month chairperson of the education standing committee, Basil Kivedo, announced in a statement that the WCED has subsidised 101 independent schools to the tune of R101 million during the 2016/17 financial year.
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said that what the statement did not clarify is the basis on which the subsidies are provided.
“The subsidy is, in fact, only provided to independent schools that serve poorer communities. There are currently 254 independent schools across the province.
"The WCED provides a subsidy to 101 schools which serve low-income households. Of these, 24 are no-fee independent schools while the remainder are low-fee independent schools,” Schäfer said.
The subsidised independent schools include Bellville Christian Academy, Al-Azhar Institute of Paarl, Khanyisa Waldorf School and Wellington Preparatory School.
Manuel said some of the independent schools were started by communities in which there were not enough schools.
Others were started to cater for repeat failures.
“Naptosa is of the view that public schools must serve the public and satisfy the needs of the majority of the population. If they were running properly or got the financial support there would not be a need for independent schools,” Manuel said.
South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) provincial secretary Jonavon Rustin said many of the poorer independent schools were started in reaction by communities to there not being enough schools.
“The department should consider ways in which to integrate public and independent schools,” Rustin said.