Johannesburg - The DA on Monday urged Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi to speed up the 2016 enrolment process at schools with more than 50 000 learners still waiting to be placed.
The DA said with the new school year starting on Wednesday, thousands of learners were in danger of not having the opportunity to attend school from day one. This is despite parents heeding the education department’s call to apply on time last year.
“It is unacceptable that learners are not able to go to school from day one,” said Khume Ramulifho, the DA’s Gauteng Shadow MEC of Education.
“Parents have to buy uniforms, pay school fees and arrange transport. The department should have employed sufficient teachers, bought text books and built more classrooms to accommodate learners,” he added.
The department set R5.4 billion aside to construct new schools as outlined by the 2015 Medium Term Expenditure Framework. But poor planning has led to major delays in construction.
Only a few of the 19 schools which were supposed to be ready will be operational.
Some schools like Glenvista and Panorama are on hold due to non-compliance with by-laws, including unapproved plans and environmental assessment regulations, said Ramulifho.
Ramulifho urged Lesufi to take ownership of these challenges and resolve them quickly.
“All learners deserve quality basic education, and the department has a responsibility to place each and every one, especially those who applied on time,” said Ramulifho.
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