Schools in the province had mixed feelings of excitement, anxiety, and hope when Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) visited schools to ascertain their readiness to deliver on one of the most important priorities of government, education.
All eleven districts of the province welcomed the presence of their elected representatives who conducted their oversight role through a programme known as the School Opening Functionality and Monitoring.
One of the teams led by the Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Education, Ms Linda Hlongwa conducted its oversight role in Uthungulu /Empangeni district. A visit that ended up in Eshowe revealed a number of challenges that some of the schools are faced with.
These included some societal problems that learners experience namely, drug abuse, high pregnancy rate, children headed families who at the same time have to attend school, insufficient numbers of qualified teachers, long walking distances to school, poor performance in tests and examinations caused by various factors inside and outside schools.
“I feel very said when the levels of parent involvement in the education of their children is so low in our schools, compared to ex model c schools”, said Hlongwa referring to a reported low levels of parent involvement in one of the schools as a contributing factor in deteriorating levels of discipline displayed by learners.
Honourable Hlongwa’s team had to intervene when a group of parents and learners picketed at a school demanding learner transport to be provided. It was these and many other problems that the MPLs in their oversight duties had to provide solutions, so that teaching and learning happens in an environment conducive to this process. The MPLs have committed to do another review in the next six months to assess impact of the implementation of their recommendations in some of the schools.
