Thousands of school children in Port Elizabeth's Northern Areas are expected to start returning to their schools on Thursday following a landmark meeting at Hillside High School on Wednesday night.
Northern Areas Education Forum Chairman Ronnie Matthys said 43 schools were represented at the meeting, where 37 school representatives gave the Forum the mandate that they would be sending learners back to the class-room from today.
Matthys told AlgoaFM news that the majority rule meant that the remaining six schools were likely to comply as well.
Matthys said he was expecting normal schooling to resume next week Monday, this comes after irate parents closed down the schools at the beginning of the school year in protest at a raft of issues with the education department not being adequately addressed.
"At the meeting last night the parents had also said that sending their children to school does not imply that they are happy with progress made by the department thus far. They stated clearly that they will be sending the children to school but the message that needs to go out to the department , is that the department has until the end of this term , 18th of March to fulfill their obligations and to resolve those four crucial issues the parents have identified" he said.
Matthys said the four key issues the parents highlighted include the conversation of section 20 schools to section 21,payment of the 2013-2015 budget to schools, more attention should be payed to special needs learners/teachers and that every classroom needs to have an educator.
He added that other issues were still being discussed with the education department.
Matthys said all schools have a work catch up plans for learners to make up for all the days lost in the classroom.
"I have to state clearly that all schools that I have spoken to have definite catch up plans for the work that has been lost, the kids in terms of work will not be disadvantaged" he said.
