Reports that MEC wants school powers ‘malicious’

30 September 2015 - 21:11 By RDM News Wire
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Panyaza Lesufi. File photo
Panyaza Lesufi. File photo
Image: VATHISWA RUSELO

The Gauteng Department of Education on Wednesday strongly denied reports which suggest that the Gauteng MEC for education‚ Panyaza Lesufi‚ wanted powers to regulate school admissions and enforce language policies in all Gauteng public schools.

“These media reports are incorrect‚ misleading and malicious‚” the department said.

Earlier on Wednesday‚ AfriForum appealed to Lesufi to resign.

It said the Schools Act “currently provides that governing bodies may inter alia decide on schools’ language‚ admission‚ religious and employment policies - a process which AfriForum regards to be democratic‚ ensuring that schools serve their respective communities”.

According to Alana Bailey‚ deputy CEO of AfriForum responsible for language issues‚ the MEC did not have the power to revise legislation.

The education department explained that following the hosting of a provincial education summit‚ delegates representing a wide range of education stakeholders in the province were divided into five commissions. One of these commissions dealt with the issue of the South African Schools Act and Governing Body Associations.

Summit participants had expressed concerns about the powers given to school governing bodies about admissions‚ language policy‚ recruitment and selection of educators and school management teams‚ religious policy and code of conduct of learners.

“The commission therefore recommended that the MEC must be given powers by law‚ to regulate language and admission policies.”

The department said that on Wednesday the chairperson of the Gauteng Education Portfolio Committee Joe Mpisi had reported back on inputs made by the commission on the review of the South African Schools Act and had emphasised that communities would be consulted all the way.

“To then suggest that the MEC wants powers to dictate or enforce the admission of learners in public schools and enforce language policies is malicious and misleading.

“The MEC strongly upholds democratic values and principle of the Constitution‚ which prescribes that everyone has the right to basic education and that everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public education institutions‚ where that education is reasonably practicable.

“The MEC will therefore not act in any manner or take any particular posture that suggests the violation of the Constitution‚” the department said.

RDM News Wire.

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