Education is a basic right in South Africa, but recent protest action in Mpumalanga has resulted in damage to infrastructure and disruptions in teaching and learning. Community members, political leaders and teachers unions have come together to discuss these challenges and a way forward.
Protests in the province have meant that learners are missing out on hours of learning that they cannot get back. When learners fail, it is usually the school that takes the blame. These challenges were brought up during public hearings on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, held by the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education in Kanyamazane.
“We have to fight for our schools. We have to fight for our education. To us, that is very important,” Thea Rix, DA ward councillor stated in an interview with the SABC.
Members of the public have been called upon to give their input on the situation. This input will assist with aligning the clauses in the bill with new developments in the education system.
Community members were given the opportunity to give submissions to parliament and these have been processed by the Portfolio Committee. Oral submissions at Parliament have also taken place and been processed. Now, the Portfolio Committee will go to the public and ask them to give their views.
The Portfolio Committee will discuss the input from various provinces and present them to parliament. These issues will be discussed in depth before they are adopted or rejected.
