ABOUT 1 142 schools across the Eastern Cape have been gazetted for closure as part of the rationalisation, realignment and merger of non-viable schools.
This was confirmed by the Education Department spokesperson, Malibongwe Mtima, stating that this followed a series of meaningful meetings with parents, unions, school governing bodies and civil society leaders as contained in Section 33 of the South African Schools Act.
According to Mtima, these schools were already closed, and that learners and teachers had been taken to other schools.
He added that they were just following a formal procedure even though they were no longer functioning.
“We follow the formal procedure and the buildings of those schools are handed over to the Department of Public Works,” said Mtima.
He said that the gazette promulgated on July 5, 2021, gave communities a 30-day period to submit comments in relation to the list.
He added that comments were invited from the public, and such comments must be submitted to the district directors for the attention of the provincial office.
“Primarily, the programme is meant to ensure the optimisation of the limited state resources for the benefit of every learner in the province.
“This is due to the drive to improve the overall quality of education in the Eastern Cape,” said Mtima
He said the gazetted primary schools have fewer than 135 learners [per school] which is prescribed by the Act, a number even less than the national average of 150 learners per school.
Furthermore, the gazetted closed secondary schools, have fewer than the prescribed number of 200 enrolled learners each, which is prescribed by the Act.
Currently, the secondary schools’ national average is 504 learners per school.
None of the promulgated schools meet the policy prescripts; hence their closure.
