ABOUT 1 142 schools across the Eastern Cape have been gazetted for closure as part of the rationalisation, realignment and merger of non-viable schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was confirmed by the Education Department spokesperson, Malibongwe Mtima, stating that this followed a series of meaningful meetings with parents, unions, school governing bodies and civil society leaders as contained in Section 33 of the South African Schools Act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Mtima, these schools were already closed, and that learners and teachers had been taken to other schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that they were just following a formal procedure even though they were no longer functioning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe follow the formal procedure and the buildings of those schools are handed over to the Department of Public Works,\u201d said Mtima. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that the gazette promulgated on July 5, 2021, gave communities a 30-day period to submit comments in relation to the list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that comments were invited from the public, and such comments must be submitted to the district directors for the attention of the provincial office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPrimarily, the programme is meant to ensure the optimisation of the limited state resources for the benefit of every learner in the province. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is due to the drive to improve the overall quality of education in the Eastern Cape,\u201d said Mtima<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the gazetted primary schools have fewer than 135 learners [per school] which is prescribed by the Act, a number even less than the national average of 150 learners per school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the gazetted closed secondary schools, have fewer than the prescribed number of 200 enrolled learners each, which is prescribed by the Act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, the secondary schools\u2019 national average is 504 learners per school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
None of the promulgated schools meet the policy prescripts; hence their closure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ABOUT 1 142 schools across the Eastern Cape have been gazetted for closure as part of the rationalisation, realignment and merger of non-viable 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