Chairperson, more than a year ago the United Nations Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights pull down South Africa to ensure that all children have access to education, but because of failures at Home Affairs undocumented children are still refused entry to schools in our country. According to United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNISEF) it is estimated that 5% of South African children do not have birth certificates. The South African Human Rights Commission furthermore states that the vast majority of learners adversely affected and impacted by lack of documentation are poor Black learners from predominately rural areas.
Basic Education Circular 1 of 2019 provides a grace period to get documented, but without the proactive
assistance of Home Affairs many of these children cannot access this service and are thrown out of school or denied examination admission due to lack of documentation. This is unfair discrimination as they do not personally have power to correct the situation. Furthermore Section 28(2) about constitution states that the best interest of the child is of paramount importance in all matters concerning the child.
The Deputy Minister should tell this House why children can still be denied access to school due to lack of documentation and what steps Home Affairs and Basic Education would undertake to urgently assist such children.