Learning and teaching has ground to a halt at several schools in Port Elizableth's northern areas as the dispute over teacher shortages continues.
West End Primary School, Cedaberg in Booysens Park and several others remain closed as the protest by parents, learners and school governing bodies over the ongoing saga gathers momentum.
A mass meeting was held at Sanctor High School on Wednesday where a new forum was elected to chart the way forward for the struggling schools.
Earlier this week education department superintendent-general Modidima Mannya outlined the Department plan to implement the 2012 post provisioning programme, which includes the employment of temporary teachers and the redeployment of excess teachers.
Meanwhile, the Cape Business Chamber says the standard of education in South Africa and the fate of children who had been let down by dysfunctional provinces is concerning.
The president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce, Michael Bagraim, says Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, has called on business to create jobs but business also needs educated people to fill the positions.
He said in a statement that if the schools are not providing people with the basic literacy and numeracy skills it becomes difficult to employ the school-leavers and the result will be a growing band of frustrated young people.
Bagraim said the problem was not funding but poor management and unions which blocked attempts to improve the situation in classrooms.
