The Provincial Treasury is withholding R15 million in authorised overtime from departmental staff involved with examinations, who have subsequently downed tools, bringing critical services to assist recent matric graduates to a complete standstill. I have reliably learnt that roughly 360 staff, including examination staff at a district level and provincial level, Human Resources and Salaries as well as internal control, have downed tools. This will have a devastating impact on …


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Over the past three academic years, 221 626 Eastern Cape learners have disappeared between their Grade 10 enrolment and their final matric exams. That’s enough to fill the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium five times over! In an increasingly competitive world, a solid educational foundation is a necessity, and even more so in the jobs scarce Eastern Cape, where the latest unemployment stats have risen to 47,9%. How can the Eastern …


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The dismal performance of the Eastern Cape matriculants should in no way rest on their shoulders, but rather on those of the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE), which has consistently placed greed and self-interest above the needs of its learners. This year the Eastern Cape’s results dropped from 76,5% to 68,1%. The Democratic Alliance commends all learners who, despite one of the most difficult academic years on record, have …


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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted Parliamentary Questions to the Department of Education (DoE) after thousands of youths did not receive remuneration after being appointed under the Education Employment Initiative (EEI). The EEI was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in April 2020, with National Treasury committing R7 billion for the EEI project. The EEI announced that 300 000 job opportunities were to be created for young South Africans and School …


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At least 72 schools in the province were unable to open at the beginning of the week, due to a lack of safe and appropriate sanitation. It is unfathomable that the Department does not prioritise the dignity of the learners of this province. Human dignity lies at the heart of a capable and caring state. I will be reporting the Department to the Human Rights Commission as they are denying …


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Even with three extra weeks due to lockdown measures, the Eastern Cape Department of Education has not been able to prepare schools for the opening of the 2021 academic year. Based on a school readiness report presented to the Education Portfolio Committee yesterday afternoon [Thursday, 11 February 2021], only 63% of schools have received their textbooks and grade reader deliveries, with around 20% of schools still awaiting the delivery of …


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With less than three days to go before the opening of schools for the 2021 academic year, school staff and teachers have been unable to update any information for the year, because the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape has still not released the latest patch for the South African School Administration Management System (SA-SAMS). Not only does this platform allow schools to update information of learners, it is …


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The Eastern Cape Department of Education must, with all haste, put together plans for the launch of a no-fee, public online school, and provide feedback to the provincial portfolio committee on Education within 30 days. This was the decision of the members of Eastern Cape Legislature during a plenary sitting yesterday, passing a motion without notice, brought by the Democratic Alliance. A capable state is one which embraces innovation and …


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Eastern Cape Education MEC, Fundile Gade, is setting schools in the province up for failure, with the announcement today that schools will have to procure their own personal protective equipment (PPE) in the first term. It is a callous and heartless decision that throws the poor to the Covid-19 wolves. This is what happens when the Department caves in to tendepreneurs, paying vastly inflated prices for PPE. We have already …


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The Eastern Cape Department of Education has wasted R1,7million on an application, named Sikuncede Njani, that is outdated and therefore serves no real purpose. In response to a parliamentary question from the DA, MEC of Education, Fundile Gade, said the app is currently up to date with relevant information that can be utilised by the public and officials of the Department. SEE: IQP 32 2nd session replies Q 766 Link …


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