House Chairperson, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education and the Select Committee on Education and Recreation, having undertaken joint oversight visits to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, report as follows.
On Wednesday, 26 January 2011 the delegation visited the region of Ntabankulu in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape. On Thursday, 27 January 2011 the delegation visited the region of Bergville in the uThukela District in KwaZulu-Natal.
In the spirit of co-operative governance, the committees had invited officials from the Ministry and the Department of Basic Education to form part of the overall delegation on the oversight visits.
These visits followed the official opening of schools for 2011 and took place amidst media reports that many schools across the country were experiencing several problems in respect of their readiness for the new school year. These problems were occurring especially in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
The purpose of the oversight visits was to assess the state of readiness of schools in these regions and the impact the extreme weather had had on them.
This report provides a summary of the key issues that emerged from the interaction with stakeholders, officials of the national department, and provincial departments, as well as the committee's deliberations, observations and recommendations.
Here are the challenges that the two provinces are facing. Firstly, most schools lacked adequate infrastructure, such as buildings, laboratories and computer laboratories. Secondly, there was a view that primary schools were given priority over high schools and that the latter had been neglected. Thirdly, funds allocated to schools were received late - this disrupted the planning programmes of the schools, and some schools had backlogs that dated back to 2008. Fourthly, there were schools with temporary teachers that were on suspension. Fifthly, concerning the status of roads, some access roads that linked schools were in a bad condition. In the sixth instance, some schools did not have access to basic necessities such as clean water and proper ablution facilities. In the seventh instance, some schools were challenged in that they had an insufficient number of classrooms. Lastly, some schools did not benefit from the school nutrition programme.
We also give an example of an accident at a school. At Mpumzi Primary school it was reported that a learner had died at the school after a strong wind caused a structural beam to collapse on him.
The following are the recommendations resulting from the deliberations of the committee. Firstly, the school nutrition programme and the scholar transport programme should be reintroduced as a matter of urgency for all learners who qualify.
Secondly, the Eastern Cape department of education should submit reports to the committee on the findings emanating from the investigation into the mismanagement of funds allocated to the school nutrition programme and the scholar transport programme.
Thirdly, there is a need to review the quintile system to eliminate inconsistencies in the current classification of schools.
Fourthly, there is a need to strengthen intergovernmental relations in order to facilitate effective service delivery.
Fifthly, the committee should follow up on the reasons given for the delays in the responses from the Disaster Fund.
The sixth recommendation is that the Department of Higher Education and Training should consider reopening teacher training colleges.
The seventh recommendation is that the Department of Basic Education should report regularly to the committee on the progress made on eradicating mud schools, in order for them to conduct oversight effectively.
The last recommendation is that the department should monitor schools to ensure that they use allocated funds for intended purposes.
The Select Committee on Education and Recreation, having considered the report, recommends that it be adopted by this House. I thank you.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Report be adopted.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.
Report accordingly adopted in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.