Equal Education (EE) recently marched to Parliament to demand urgent reforms to address the inequalities in South Africa's education system. They explain that thirty years into democracy, countless predominantly black learners in rural and township schools continue to struggle with access to quality education in unsafe and inadequate learning environments.
At the march, EE members handed over a memorandum to key stakeholders which outlined key demands to ensure equal and just education for all South African learners.
EE called for an end to austerity measures that had reduced per-learner spending on education since 2019. They demanded prioritisation of education funding, implementation of progressive policies, and measures to eliminate corruption to ensure resources reached their intended beneficiaries.
Researcher at Equal Education Mahfouz Raffee says more than 2000 learners marched to parliament demanding accountability from the government.
Raffee says problems like overcrowding, inappropriate infrastructure and lack of sufficient learning materials are negatively affecting the progress of learners.
problems like overcrowding of schools, and infrastructure, we know that the government has failed to meet several of its deadlines regarding the minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure and keeps failing them. Other key issues around the inclusion of all learners including those most marginalised by Society, safety and psychosocial support are key aspects and reading. We believe that this needs to be prioritised
They explain despite the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure becoming law over a decade ago, many schools still lacked basic facilities.
EE demanded immediate government intervention to provide safe and dignified learning environments, including the eradication of dangerous pit toilets and the provision of reliable water supplies, libraries, science labs, and sports facilities.
They add that overcrowded classrooms are negatively affecting the quality of education for both teachers and learners. EE called for proactive plans to build more schools and classrooms, employ sufficient teachers, and reduce class sizes to address this issue.
EE noted that each year, increasing enrolment numbers in provinces like the Western Cape and Gauteng leaves many learners unplaced even after the school year commencement. They demanded that political leaders and education MECs ensure every learner was placed in a suitable school with adequate resources.
Many learners faced unsafe school conditions, experiencing trauma and violence. EE called for improved physical security, functional safety committees, adequate psychosocial support, and effective safety policies.
The 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study showed that 81% of Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning. EE demanded that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) provide well-stocked libraries in every school and publish binding timelines for this provision.
