School governing bodies federation disappointed with Constitutional Court admissions judgment

20 May 2016 - 19:50 By Roxanne Henderson

The Federation of School Governing Bodies of South Africa (Fedsas) said on Friday that it is disappointed with the Constitutional Court's judgment on Gauteng admissions regulations.Deputy CEO of Fedsas Dr Jaco Deacon‚ however‚ that as an organisation it would play by the rules of the Constitution. “Fedsas will study the Constitutional Court’s decision and advise our members accordingly.” The court ruled on Friday that there is no conflict between the provincial regulations and national legislation on school admissions‚ as Fedsas had argued.Fedsas lost its battle for the removal of the regulations when the court held that the they are “rational‚ justifiable‚ reasonable and lawful”.Said Deacon: “All our actions are guided by the best interests of the children of South Africa. Our experience of the Constitutional Court as guardian of the Constitution is that this institution is also committed to protecting the interests of South Africans within the framework of the Constitution.“In this regard‚ we respect the Constitutional Court’s decision.”The Gauteng Department of Education said that the judgment places beyond doubt the fact the department is the custodian of public education policy and has the final say on admission issues.“Admission into schools is a collaborative effort between the Department‚ schools and the SGB. However‚ in the final analysis it is the department’s duty to run the public school system to afford every child their right to learn‚” it said.It also said it would comply with the court's order that the MEC Panyaza Lesufi determine feeder zones for schools in the next 12 months‚ consulting relevant stakeholders...

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