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25 September 2012, over 250 learners and Equal Education (EE) supporters gathered outside Parliament in Cape Town to send 51 emails, 129 letters, 20 faxes, 57 tweets and 148 pictures to Minister Motshekga telling her to set minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure. Minimum norms and standards would ensure that every South African learner can access a safe and well resourced school.

Tables were set up outside Parliament with laptops, scanners, fax machines and stationery. Throughout the afternoon members of the public wrote personal messages to Minister Motshekga asking her to fulfil her promise and set minimum norms and standards.

The emails were sent to Steve Mabua, Minister Motshekga’s private secretary. He forwarded some of the emails to Dingani Ngobeni, chief of staff at the Department of Basic Education; Pumla Mdontswa, personal assistant to the ministry and Linda Chisholm, advisor to Minister Motshekga.
One of the emails he forwarded, from Ovayo Wotshela, read: “I strongly believe that the education system in this country is unequal, very poor…Would you have sent your children to public schools like we currently have in our country? Please consider Equal Education’s plea for minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure before it’s too late.”

Learners and supporters had their picture taken to add to EE’s virtual picket. The virtual picket gives the public the opportunity to add their name and face to the campaign. Pictures can be emailed to myschool@equaleducation.org.za and can be viewed on EE’s Facebook page or on EE’s blog.

EE has been campaigning for two years to get Minister Motshekga to promulgate minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure. Norms and standards would ensure that every South African learner is able to access a basic level of infrastructure at their school. At present schools are not required by law to have functioning libraries, effective sanitation facilities, well stocked laboratories or even safe classrooms. Almost 3,600 schools do not have electricity, 92% of schools do not have a functioning library and in the Eastern Cape there are still 395 mud schools.

Earlier this year EE filed papers in the Bisho High Court seeking an order that would force Minister Motshekga to set minimum norms and standards. The court date is set down for 20 November 2012.