/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The R10 million meant for the refurbishment of the Kwa-Dukathole Comprehensive School in Katlehong has been looted, forcing hundreds of learners to learn in overcrowded and dilapidated classrooms.

According to media reports, the Gauteng Department of Education was fully aware of the brazen abuse of funds from this school, yet nothing was done to intervene.

The misuse of public funds in the school has resulted in a shortage of desks and chairs, as well as overcrowding of prefab classrooms with each having 60 learners, which is a far cry from the average learner-to-teacher ratio of 31.4 projected in the 2022 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).

It is concerning that the Chairperson of the School Governing Body (SGB) and the school principal, both of whom should be advocating for the improvement of the school to a conducive teaching and learning environment, are implicated in the misuse of the funds.

This situation not only disrupts the infrastructural development at the school but also jeopardises the learners’ academic performance. There has to be a correlation between the poor infrastructure in this school and the matric results dropping from 88% in 2021 to 66.2% in 2023.

The DA demands that the Gauteng Department of Education and relevant enforcement agencies accelerate the investigation into this matter and that those found guilty of financial mismanagement be held accountable rather than resurfacing in another school because of their proximity to those at the department.

We will also conduct an oversight inspection at the school to assess the state of learning and teaching and the infrastructure. We also want to determine how the mismanagement of school funds is impacting the delivery of quality education. The DA reiterates its call for parents to elect responsible individuals with education at heart to be part of SGB committees who will contribute positively to the improvement of the learning and teaching environment.

Issued by Sergio Dos Santos MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education