Equal Education gives Angie one-month extension

No fear No Favour No Education.......... Thanks to the powers that be


17 MAY 2013 15:37 - SAPA

                                            Basic Education Minister Angie Mo
Equal Education is giving Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga another month to promulgate norms and standards for school infrastructure.

"The one-month extension will come into effect only if the minister, within the next two days, signs an addendum to the original settlement agreement, agreeing to a new deadline of 15 June," it said in a statement on Friday.

"Failing this, the minister will be in breach of the original settlement agreement, and EE [Equal Education] will renew its application to court."

On its website, Equal Education said the then education minister Naledi Pandor published detailed draft norms and standards in November 2008 – as is called for by the South African Schools Act – but these were neglected and did not became law.

In June 2010, Motshekga published the national policy for an equitable provision of an enabling school physical teaching and learning environment, but it too was not promulgated.

Equal Education said on its website that the Legal Resources Centre filed papers on its behalf, and that of two Eastern Cape schools, in the Eastern Cape High Court in March 2012.

However, just before the case was heard in November, Motshekga entered into an agreement undertaking to publish draft regulations for public comment by January 15 and to promulgate them by May 15.

Motshekga asked for more time
A 16-page draft was published on January 8, but Motshekga had asked for more time to finalise the regulations.

Equal Education said in its statement that Motshekga had sent it a letter, in which she wrote: " ... From the comments received, I have discerned that it is undesirable for me to finalise and promulgate the norms and standards in their current form.

"In the main, stakeholders object to the fact that the norms and standards lack substance and certainty, and that there is no clear framework or plan for implementing the norms and standards."

Basic education spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi said on Friday that the department had not received any information from Equal Education.

"We went on a public participation [campaign for the norms]. Comments were made about it and we believe that the comments are valid."

This meant the department needed time to consider the comments.

"We wrote a formal letter to Equal Education, and they are consulting everyone else [about the extension]," he said.

Equal Education said on Friday that it accepted the "admission" by Motshekga, but was disappointed at the delay.

Motshekga 'has absolutely no excuse​'
"EE is planning large marches for June 17. The minister will decide what these marches are about," it said.

"If she has published good quality norms and standards by June 15, the marches will be a celebration. If she has not, the marches will begin a new phase of Equal Education's campaign."

Democratic Alliance MP Annette Lovemore said on Friday that she would ask Parliament's basic education portfolio committee to request that Motshekga explain why she had taken so long to develop standards.

"The letter requesting an extension is yet another insult to those learners who attend school in unsafe and inappropriate structures, and who do not have access to resources that will allow an optimal education experience," she said.

"The process of developing standards has been on-going for five years. The minister has absolutely no excuse other than a lack of will or interest."

On its website, Equal Education said binding minimum norms and standards would set the basic level of infrastructure every school should have to properly function properly, and would include toilets, running water, electricity, libraries, safe classrooms, sports fields and perimeter security. – Sapa

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COMMENTS BY SONNY

Angie Motshekga - Just another one of the ANC failures?

How can Zuma run (ruin) a country with so many misfits?

We are soon to find out.

The Guptagate is his next stumbling block.