Our education system is in crisis. Poor education lies at the root of most of
South Africa's problems, including unemployment, poverty and inequality. Without
a dramatic improvement in education, the crevasses in South African society will
continued to deepen. Education is a debt that the present generation owes to
future generations.

During our oversight visits at the beginning of this year when schools opened
for the 2015 academic year we experience many challenges. I observed that there
is a huge problem with School Nutrition Programme where service providers
complained about late payments by the Department of Education and uncertainty
about their contracts. This issue has been a problem for a long time but the
Department has failed to solve it. Most schools still lack suitable cooking
areas and storage rooms for cooking resources. We should not have a situation
where our children go hungry when money is available to feed them. It is sad
that the problem is largely an administrative one.

We noted a shortage of learning materials and resources including science
laboratories, libraries and proper sanitation. Many schools, especially in the
rural areas experience a lack of adequately qualified teachers. These problems
need to be solved if we want to fix our education system. We cannot expect
learners from disadvantaged communities and under-resourced schools to compete
on par with their peers in well-resourced schools. It makes a mockery of the
matric awards function that is held at the beginning of each year.

We want to know from the MEC what measures she has put in place to ensure the
adequate supply of qualified teachers to schools especially in the rural areas
of this province? Secondly what is the MEC's response to the plans by the
Department of Basic Education to take mathematics teachers out of school every
Monday to receive training? We are of the view that such a programme will lead
to sever disruptions of teaching and learning in schools. Many mathematics
educators also teach other subjects so their absence from school will affect
subject areas and also the general discipline at schools.

SCHOLAR TRANSPORT

The IFP has been championing the issue of scholar transport in this House and in
the portfolio committee for several years now but the Department has failed
dismally to provide safer transport for our children. Eight children died in
Imbali when their bakkie overturned. This is due to the inept of this department
to failure to provide safer transport.

The Department of Education has violated the learner's right to basic education
by failing to provide them with transport to school. We demand that this
department must provide urgent time-bound remedies to deal with this problem.
Many learners have to walk long distances to school in order to access
education. The failure by the Department of Education and the Department of
Transport to provide safe transport violates learners' right to education as
enshrined in Section 29 of the Constitution.

We recommended that these Departments should review their memorandum of
agreement regarding the provision of scholar transport to ensure that it's
consistent and does not prevent learners from going to school, thus violating
their right to education. Departments must provide the Committee with monthly
written reports on the progress made towards the delivery of transport to the
learners of the schools.

It is sad that the Department of Transport has not yet implemented the
Provincial Policy on Learner Transport for Public Schools. Furthermore there is
a need to accelerate the finalisation of the Provincial Policy on Learner
Transport for Public Schools as the age group of 5-14 is hugely affected by road
fatalities and this can potentially affect the productivity of the South African
economy.

The delays in the implementation of the Provincial Policy on Learner Transport
for Public Schools means that learners in rural areas and townships will
continue to be transported with the most unroadworthy vehicles, exposing them to
fatal road accidents and interruption of their ability to learn and progress
through the education system. The Department of Transport, therefore, needs to
prioritise both the education and safety of our children.

We further demand that the MECs of Education and Transport must ensure that
learners of Fezokuhle Primary School and other affected learners are offered
safe scholar transport so as to avoid such tragic incidents in the future.

SAFETY IN SCHOOLS

Safety at schools around the province remains a concern despite the Education
Department's promise to step up security measures. This department is
downplaying the problem of safety in schools. The department need to have a
long-term plan to implement stringent security measures in all KZN schools. Many
schools, especially in townships, have cited the lack of financial resources as
one of the reasons for the lack of sufficient security. Many of them have no
security guards on their premises 24/7 because they cannot afford to pay private
security companies for those services.

Langalibalele Primary School in Inanda is one of the many schools that needs
security. Criminals are stealing school furniture and food meant for our
children. We demand better security measures at schools to ensure that teaching
and learning takes place in a safe environment. The MEC must conduct an
assessment on the status of security measures at schools around the province.
Teaching and learning cannot take place in an unsafe environment.

MEC Peggy Nkonyeni must come out of her office and be hands-on in conducting
site visits at schools in order to experience first-hand and get facts about
issues concerning security at schools. We want to see the MEC being active in
this matter as she does when she campaigns for the ANC during by-elections.
Issues concerning safety of teachers and learners must be prioritised. We demand
more action in resolving education matters rather than seeing the MEC attending
ANC rallies and campaigns.

We recommend that new buildings can be designed with crime prevention elements
that include single entrances with locked doors and buzzers. The lack of
security makes schools vulnerable to thieves who come in to steal electrical
appliances and metal objects.

The MEC and HOD must ensure that education managers at all levels do their jobs
efficiently. We should not have a situation where subject advisers and SEMs do
not conduct regular visits to schools in their circuit and offer assistance.
These officials have a crucial role to play in ensuring that schools are
functioning well.

I thank you