The Select Committee on Education and Recreation notes with sadness the damage to the Eastern Cape’s Menziwa Senior Secondary School caused by fire a few days ago.
According to media reports, students deliberately set fire to parts of the school causing damage to at least eight classrooms, laboratories, toilets and groceries destined for the school feeding scheme.
“This is unacceptable, violent action cannot be used to resolve the historical and deep-rooted problems that continue to render the Eastern Cape Education dysfunctional” said the Committee Chairperson, Ms Wendy Makgate.
“The Committee condemns this act of violence in strongest terms and calls on all parents, learner organisations and individual learners to exercise the highest level of restraint. Let us all ensure that a conducive environment prevails for the successful implementation of section 100 (1) (b) (to meet the minimum standards required for schooling). This unfortunate violent action is a gross antithesis of the efforts aimed at restoring the Eastern Cape education's lost glory,” Ms Makgate said.
The committee appealed to all stakeholders of Eastern Cape education, including learner organisations, to work more closely and meaningfully than ever before, driven by the common purpose of seeking to turn Eastern Cape education into one of the best (systems) in South Africa.
Menziwa Senior Secondary School is in Dutywa, in the former Transkei.
For enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Mava Lukani
Parliamentary Communication Services (PCS)
Cell: 072 589 9355
Tel: 021 403 8738
Fax: 021 403 3931
E-mail: mlukani@parliament.gov.za
