Eastern Cape Education MEC, Mandla Makupula, has called on communities to work with his Department and the police to reclaim their schools and streets from gangsters.
Makupula was a guest on the DMB on Wednesday morning during which he made wide-ranging comments about the state of education in the province, migration of learners from rural to urban areas and also the impact of the social environment on schools, particularly gangsterism in Port Elizabeth's Northern Areas.
"These are sons and daughters of our own, born and bred in this area. It is us as parents and communities that in the ultimate end the Department can do what they can but it will never be sustainable if communities do not participate"
Meanwhile, Makupula is in Nelson Mandela Bay on Wednesday to meet education stakeholders on the progress being made to address critical issues ahead of the new school year.
He will be meeting with School Governing Bodies, parents, NGO's and other civil society organisations.
MEC Makupula says over the past two weeks he's been visiting education districts across the province to essentialy dot the I's and cross the T's ahead of 2016.
"I have been on this drive for the past few weeks. I went to Thabamkulu in the Transkei, Elliotdale, again looking at winding off the 2015 academic year. I need feedback from my community schools. What are the challenges I might not have taken note off. I want to be able to say I have addressed all things" he said
