STATEMENT BY BRETT HERRON, GOOD SECRETARY GENERAL AND MEMBER OF THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT
23 February 2021
Western Cape Education MEC’s performance is however a fail.
We congratulate the matric class of 2020 for, amidst one of the most challenging academic years in history, performing with resilience and determination.
This level of achievement is a true reward for the hardships we as a nation have had to endure due to the global medical catastrophe.
However, we remain concerned about the overall quality of the basic education curriculum and whether this is preparing students for the 21st Century economy. We must fix our education system urgently.
A particular cause for concern is that the Western Cape managed only to attain third place among provinces, behind Free State and Gauteng. This for a province which purports to be the best run in the country.
In an era of global urbanisation, the Western Cape continues to under serve the growing demand for access to schools.
Access to decent, functional education facilities is a critical part of a child’s academic journey and heavily influences their performance.
Instead of catering for the province’s growing population by prioritising the building of new schools, the Education Department saw fit to shift R40 million in precious public funds to refurbish lavish offices for its staff.
When schools reopened last week our offices were inundated with calls from concerned parents about children being unable to be accommodated at the Fisantekraal High School and being placed on a waiting list.
I have raised this MEC Debbie Schafer’s office but we have yet to receive a satisfactory response.
Meanwhile, in Forest Village, celebrated by the Western Cape government as their shining example of spatial transformation, children are attending classes under trees as part of a modern academic model.
Arguably the greatest expression of the trouble the province’s education system is in, is the education MEC who celebrates the the province’s move from 4th to 3rd place in the national rankings, despite a decrease in passesfrom 82.3% in 2019 to 79.9 % in 2020.
The MEC is out of her depth and the Provincial Government is failing the children of this Province.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron
GOOD MEMBER OF THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT AND SECRETARY-GENERAL, 082 518 3264 bretth@forgood.org.za