Bisho - Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said schools in the province had problems accommodating pupils with autism, and that his administration is investigating the establishment of three special schools in the Province.
Mabuyane was delivering State of the Province Address(SOPA), at the Bisho legislature on Friday.
Mabuyane said: "Our Constitution protects the rights of all children to receive quality education".
He said the three schools will look at children with special needs such as autism, and will be established at Nelson Mandela Metro, Buffalo City Metro and King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipality.
He said an integral part of their plan includes fixing the environment where teaching and learning takes place. "Our hearts bleed when school children in our rural areas risk their lives to cross rivers, while some walk long distances to access the basic human right of education.
"We will not address these challenges all at once, but I can commit that we will move with speed to reach out to as many schools as possible prioritising the most dire situations".
Mabuyane said the province will work with teachers, learners and parents to restore discipline in schools. "we have huge problem with discipline in our schools and we need to look closely at that," Mabuyane said.
Still on education, Mabuyane said he was concerned about the implications of living in a highly competitive world.
"The new technologies, use of robotics, faster and better ways of communication come to mind. We will invest resources in education to equip our children with skills that would make them highly competitive in the labour market".
"We will consolidate the work we are doing for ECDs by ensuring that every child gets an education opportunity at early stages of his or her life," Mabuyane said.