education school

Minister Angie Motshekga speaking at the launch of the National Reading Coalition (NRC). Photo: Flickr/GCIS

Motshekga visits Diepsloot community to discuss Basic Education

Her visit was also aimed at having a public engagement that will accelerate service delivery in Education.

education school

Minister Angie Motshekga speaking at the launch of the National Reading Coalition (NRC). Photo: Flickr/GCIS

On Monday, 28 October 2019, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga visited a school and communitie in Gauteng. She was present at the Diepsloot Youth Centre Hall in Ext 2 at the beginning of this week.

Motshekga visits Diepsloot community

The minister took the opportunity to interact with school management teams and community members about matters relating to Basic Education. Motshekga’s visit was a public participation programme which took place in the north of Johannesburg.

During the visit, the minister was also able to share information with Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners and youth that is out of school. Part of her visit was also aimed at having a public engagement that will accelerate service delivery in Education.

The issues discussed at the meeting

Speaking at the event, the minister stated:

“The overall mantra of this public engagement is discussion; dialogue; joint problem-solving; and above all feedback. We want to have first-hand experience of the impact our policies have on the people we serve.”

Angie Motshekga, Basic Education Minister

The minister quoted the South African Schools Act of 1996 that says:

“…this country requires a new national system for schools which will redress past injustices in educational provision, provide an education of progressively high quality for all learners and, in so doing lay a strong foundation for the development of all our people’s talents and capabilities…”

South African Schools Act 1996

Motshekga noted:

“We are however still of the view that it remains the responsibility of the state to ensure that all learners have access to quality education and, that the state should provide this through a credible public education system.”

Angie Motshekga, Basic Education Minister

Motshekga addresses Independent schools

She addressed Independent schools and encouraged parents to register their children in them. The minister also outlined the requirements for a school to be deemed as an independent one.

Motshekga noted that currently 632 443 learners are enrolled in registered Independent schools. Most of them, 296 282, were said to be in Gauteng.

However, there are only 1922 registered Independent schools in South Africa.

Department of Basic Education deals with illegal schools

She revealed how the department was struggling with Independent schools that were illegally operating. The minister continued explaining how the schools were being tackled:

“Working jointly with our provincial counterparts, we are continuously seeking to identify these unregistered Independent schools, and impose the authority of the State on them. We continuously investigate all allegations of schools operating without being registered with the relevant education departments.”

Angie Motshekga, Basic Education Minister

She informed those gathered that the department would issue letters to cease operations if an illegal school was found. Motshekga shared that parents, learners, and educators would then be informed of the closure of the school.

She encouraged parents and communities to come forward in reporting illegal schools to ensure “a credible basic education system.” The minister is set to visit Kanana Primary School on Friday, 1 November 2019 at 14:00.

Then her last school visit in Gauteng will be at Ebony Park Primary School on Sunday, 3 November 2019 at 9:00.