RISE Mzansi Political party has taken the year-on-year battle by the Gauteng Department of Education to place all learners in schools. Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Amid ongoing struggles with school placements in Gauteng, RISE Mzansi political party has escalated the issue to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for immediate attention.
Despite the academic year being in full swing, RISE Mzansi highlights the plight of numerous learners in Atteridgeville, Tshwane, who remain without school placements.
The party’s provincial convenor, Tebogo Moalusi, said it was worrying that even though it had been three months since schools started, as many as 80 learners in Atteridgeville, west of Tshwane, were forced to stay home while their peers attend schools.
“This is unacceptable, especially when Gauteng parents have been subjected to the same excuses every year, with no solution in sight.”
Moalusi said even though the Gauteng Department of Education had, at the beginning of the year, claimed that all learners in the province had been assigned places at various schools, the party had it on good authority that this was not the case for some learners in Atteridgeville.
Given that the country was currently commemorating Human Rights Month, Moalusi said it was shameful that provisions made by the country’s Constitution, stressing the right to basic education had been blatantly ignored and disregarded.
“Three-months of staying at home, means a loss of a whole term of learning. The consequences of such, will not only affect the learners, but their parents and teachers as well.
“RISE Mzansi calls on the Gauteng Department of Education to show urgency in making sure that all the unplaced learners are placed as they have an obligation to protect, respect and fulfil this right to education,” he said.
While the party has called on the department to ensure it took proactive measures in dealing with overcrowding and a failing admissions processes, they have taken it further by approaching the SAHRC for intervention.
“Education remains one of the most paramount and basic human rights in South Africa and a RISE Mzansi government offers new leaders who care about the future of this country’s children,” he added.
Attempts to get comment from Education Department spokesperson, Steve Mabona, were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Questions were sent to the Department of Basic Education, but they were yet to respond at the time of publication.
The Star
goitsemang.matlhabe@inl.co.za