Unions 'should leave education alone'

The National Youth Development Agency has called for education to be declared an essential service and for it to be de-unionised.

Addressing the media in Rosebank, Johannesburg, yesterday, agency chairman Andile Lungisa said the blame for the education system's failures should be laid at the door of unions.

Unionisation, a system used effectively in factories and industries, could not be applied to something as serious as education, he said.

"Education must be made an essential service. We must not use the strategies used in factories and industries for education.

"If we don't deal with unions [in the education system] this country will not succeed and we will be sabotaging future generations."

Lungisa said poor matric results, particularly in previously disadvantaged schools, could be linked to union activities.

"Bargaining must be done once every five years. It tampers with the education system, it tampers with the future of this country. People take it lightly, but it's very serious. It's only in black schools, and, if we continue this way, black kids will remain disadvantaged."

The agency, he said, was preparing to engage unions and the Department of Basic Education on the issue.

"We are going to put forward proposals to the unions and the government and I hope there will be no resistance."

However, Lungisa's comments hit a raw nerve with SA Democratic Teachers' Union secretary Mugwena Maluleke: "That's way off the mark. These calls are based on sentiment rather than research. Unfortunately, in our country organisations like the agency use simplistic ways to explain complex problems.

"Education is for all of us. Stop blaming each other and come up with solutions," he said, adding that there were structural and systematic problems in the sector.

Lungisa said the agency would donate nine mobile science laboratories to nine schools. The labs, which cost R40000 each, will be for schools in poorly performing provinces such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape.

"Often you find schools where learners are taught only the theory of physical science. This intervention will ensure they are also exposed to practical science experiments," Lungisa said.

The agency would also continue with the 2nd Chance programme, aimed at assisting pupils who failed matric, to prepare to re-write their exams. Pupils must have failed English, maths, physical science and accounting to qualify for the programme. Last year 2nd Chance helped more than 2000 pupils rewrite matric.

The agency has started a bursary scheme to support needy pupils who performed well in matric. Next month, the agency will deploy career guidance counsellors to schools with low matric pass rates. Lungisa encouraged young people to visit the agency's offices and mobile advisory centres.