THE ANC in Nelson Mandela Bay has urged northern areas schools to abandon a planned shutdown today, saying it would be an abuse of their children’s right to education.
Former regional party chairman Nceba Faku also accused opposition parties of using the situation for political point-scoring ahead of this year’s municipal elections.
Faku said the decision to close the schools had not been unanimous.
Opposition parties said he was trying to shift blame, but they agreed that closing the schools would be a mistake.
Faku, who chaired a meeting on Saturday on the planned shutdown, said the ANC was appealing for normal teaching to continue.
His call followed a Northern Areas Education Forum (NAEF) meeting last week when parents decided to shut 52 schools due to teacher shortages and overcrowding, among other problems.
Faku said the shutdown plan showed the situation “has got out of hand, but this does not mean we do not believe that parents and SGBs have legitimate concerns”.
“We do, however, believe that people involved have hidden agendas some people disguised as members of this forum are backing the agendas of opposition parties.
“It is our duty as responsible leaders to call down this action. People cannot use children to seek public sympathy. It would be pure abuse of children’s rights.”
Faku said many people he had met were saying that “this decision is wrong”.
There was also a real possibility that the violence which erupted last year could be repeated, Faku warned. “It would only open up the possibility for criminal elements to hijack the situation again.
“We are not saying the government is perfect. We are saying the government should address the issues as well.”
But he added: “It is very strange that this forum is being led by principals and teachers who are employed by the government.
“It cannot be their right to work against the government that employs them.
“Mark my words, some parents and individuals involved in this have their own agendas . . . we will not be surprised if some of them appear on the local government candidate lists of opposition parties,” Faku said.
COPE councillor Rano Kayser said Faku was merely attempting to shift blame as the ANC government had failed to provide quality education in the northern areas.
“Education is not a political matter – it is a constitutional matter,” Kayser said.
But he also believed closing the schools would be a mistake.
“We can see from last year’s matric results and the drop in the pass rate of northern areas schools the impact the last closure had,” Kayser said.
“Education officials are responsible for this problem and parents should instead focus their energies there.”
DA federal chairman Athol Trollip said the party did not support the schools’ closure, adding that none of those involved in the plan would be on the party’s candidates’ list.
Trollip sympathised with the parents of children attending the schools.
“I think these parents have legitimate concerns,” he said, pointing out that the pass rate had dropped 20 percentage points.
“But there are much better options [than closing the schools].
“Last year, parents closed schools and things turned violent.
“If parents are unhappy, they can rather replace this government.”
NAEF secretary Richard Draai said: “If Mr Faku has evidence of anyone using the forum for their own devious motives, he can approach me and inform me himself.
“We will not allow party politics to derail our job of working towards quality education for our children.”
Draai said premier Phumulo Masualle had assured the NAEF and church leaders that a committee would be sent to the metro before Friday to assist with education-related challenges and a letter of implementation would be sent to the education forum. “We have not received the letter as yet,” Draai said.
“We believe schools should remain open but this decision was made by parents and was a majority decision.
“It is my personal belief that schools should be open but parents no longer trust the department.
“If the SGB of any school decides that school should continue, we will not stand in their way.”
Draai said: “There will be no demonstrations or picketing as we do not want this to be hijacked as it was last year. Parents will simply keep their children at home.”
Meanwhile, Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Danny Jordaan received a pat on the back for his effort to help with the crisis in northern areas schools.
Jordaan, who accompanied Masualle and Education MEC Mandla Makupula on school visits last week, was praised for helping schools with their safety and staffing concerns.
Jordaan donated shoes to pupils at Missionvale Primary and Rocklands Intermediate schools and promised to hire security guards, caretakers and other non-teaching staff for some needy schools.
At a press briefing on Friday, Masualle said Jordaan’s commitment to improving education had been clear during a three-day inspection tour of schools.
The municipality allocated a R6.4-million budget late last year to hire 330 caretakers, secretaries and security guards that schools lacked as a result of a 20-year moratorium on non-teaching staff.
So far, 295 people have been employed on contracts.
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