Walmer High School in the Walmer Township in Port Elizabeth is being short changed by the Department of Education by close to a million rand a year. This school has been incorrectly classified as a Quintile 5 school. This is the top classification that can be given to a school located in an affluent area. If this school was classified as a Quintile 3 school, it would receive R1,103 million a year from the Department instead of the measly R206 000 that it is receiving at present for the running of the school. This school could possibly even qualify for a lower Quintile status.
The reason why this school has been incorrectly classified is that the Quintile system is based on voting districts and Walmer High has been linked to the suburb of Walmer. This information was supplied to me in reply to a question which I posed to the MEC after a visit to the school. I was extremely disturbed to see that there is no electricity in many of the classrooms and that there is no educator appointed to teach computer studies.
The Democratic Alliance in the Provincial Legislature will continue to raise the issue of the incorrect classification of schools in terms of the quintile system as there are many schools in this province that are being short changed by this bureaucratic bungling.
Because of the poor administration by the Department of Education our learners are not being given the right resources that they deserve to gain a quality education. The Democratic Alliance believes that education is the foundation of opportunity. If our learners are going to be equipped for the modern global economy, they deserve to get the best quality education possible. Bureaucratic bungling is denying these learners greater opportunities. The school has been faxed a copy of the reply and it is now up to them to take the matter up with the education department so that they can get their quintile status changed. Walmer High School falls in the constituency which I have been allocated and I remain committed to taking up issues from all communities to ensure that their quality of life improves.
Hi Bobby
I am teaching at Lovedale Pulic FET College in Alice, EC. I was invited to motivated the Balfour High School educators whose matric students had a pass rate of 14%. These students are responsible for their siblings: work during the orange picking season to earn a living to cater for the needs of their siblings; walk between 5 and 15km to the school and attended school during the September vacation because of the bread and milk offered by their teachers.
The present matric students are all very enthusiastic and their teachers are all very keen to learn from colleagues who are prepared to share their expertise with them. I was amazed to learn that although they are teaching their subjects from Grade 10 to 12 to their students, that they are also very involved in their communities and churches!!
You know, I think, if these educators can either meet you in PE or you meeting them at their school in Balfour, they will be very encouraged and motivated. If you can bring your SRC to meet with their matriculants, it will be even a more fruitful event!
How about it? We all talk about making a change. How about visiting them and/or invite them to visit your school?
I would like to hear how you feel about this idea.
Isabelle @ Lovedale
(Cell 082 096 1111)
Hi there Isabelle
Thank you for your comment and valued input. Our spokesperson on Education, Edmund van Vuuren, will be in touch with you.
Regards
Bobby Stevenson