Commission to investigate schools where all matrics failed

21 January 2016 - 02:30 By Nashira Davids

The SA Human Rights Commission is investigating whether pupils at the 22 schools where no one passed matric last year received a decent education. Commission spokesman Dieketseng Diale said its Western Cape office would conduct the probe, sparked by a complaint from a DA MP.Gavin Davis called for an investigation after schools in KwaZulu-Natal (12), Gauteng (6), the Eastern Cape (2), Limpopo (1) and the Northern Cape (1) failed to produce a successful candidate.Davis said there had been 16 such schools in 2014 and only nine in 2013."It must be acknowledged that in some 0% schools only one or two learners wrote the National Senior Certificate," he said."However, in at least 14 of the 22 . 10 or more learners wrote the NSC examinations. All 37 Grade 12 learners at Kwabhamu Secondary in KwaZulu-Natal, for example, wrote and failed."I believe that the right to a decent basic education enshrined in our constitution is being denied to the children at these schools."He also reminded the chairman of the commission, advocate Mabedle Mushwana, that it had identified children's rights and basic education as a "key focus area".Diale said: "We have received [the complaint]. It has been sent to our Western Cape provincial office and they are busy with that investigation."Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said: "The DA is within its rights to request an investigation."..

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