Thulisile Mapongwana
Hundreds of learner members of the education lobby group, Equal Education, marched to the offices of the Eastern Cape Education Department in Zwelitsha on Tuesday.
This was to demand that the norms and standards for basic education infrastructure be met, with Wednesday marking ten years since this was signed into law.
Equal Education head of youth organising, Itumeleng Mothlabane, said little has been done to eradicate pit latrines, ensure basic needs like water and electricity in schools, and that schools have libraries and laboratories by the stipulated dates in the law.
According to the Norms and Standards law:
2020: By 29 November 2020, all public schools in South Africa should have been provided with enough classrooms, fences, proper toilets, and electronic connectivity
2023: By 29 November 2023, all public schools in South Africa should have been provided with libraries and laboratories.
2030: By 31 December 2030, Halls, sports fields, and other infrastructure that the Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure demands should be in place.
Hundreds of learners who are members of Equal Education marched to the offices of the EC Education Dept to demand that norms and standards for basic infrastructure in schools be fully implemented. @DBE_SA @ECDOEZA @CyrilRamaphosa @OscarMabuyane @AlgoaFMNews pic.twitter.com/S51xP2KrL2
— AlgoaFMNews (@AlgoaFMNews) November 28, 2023
"What we see in the province is that we have about 506 schools that still have no form of sanitation and we are saying today that is a crime. The MEC and the Minister cannot get away with this," Mothlabane said.
Officials from the Education MEC Fundile Gade's office received the memorandum of demands and promised to respond within 14 days.
A learner from Forbes Grand High School in eQonce, Lisakhanya Mohlomi, said she hoped the department would take them seriously, as the overcrowding in classrooms was starting to hamper their ability to learn.
Last week Finance MEC, Mlungisi Mvoko, allocated R62 million to the education department in his adjustments budget to cover the cost of implementing the public sector wage agreement.
The Department has also had to return unspent money, with over R200 million being returned to the National Treasury in the last financial year.
