Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said a reallocation of pupils might not stop him from closing a Curro private school that he says is racist. Chris Barron asked him . . .Who would it benefit?I'm not in the business of closing schools.But your threat to close the school is still open?It's still open until I've finalised some discussions with them. There are issues that I am completely unhappy with. If they can clarify the points I'm worried about, such as the teacher population, I'll be fine. I don't want to have an institution where the only black people are the ones doing the garden or security guards at the gate. It sends a wrong signal to the young ones.Curro says there's a shortage of qualified black teachers.We've got 991 educators in our database, suitably qualified.Curro CEO Chris van der Merwe says he has been warned by the minister not to poach "her" black teachers ...These are teachers who have just qualified, who have not been placed in any government school. Of those 900 or so, almost 98 were white teachers. All the white teachers have been snapped up. Does that mean only white teachers are suitably qualified on that list and black teachers are not?Do you accept Curro's good faith, that they want to provide a quality education, or do you think they're just a bunch of racists?No, I'm saying their commitment is not based on any other thing but the need to commodify education so that they can make money. So they will not engage in processes that will not bring money.Do you have a problem with private education?I don't in terms of government. But personally, I do. You go to countries like South Korea, education there is free ... That is why they can produce the skills that they have.Our public schools don't deliver the same results. Don't you think private schools offer a useful alternative?I am saying personally I don't believe in private education. I believe that public education should be the one.In an ideal world, perhaps?Yes.But we're not living in an ideal world, are we?An ideal world must be created.Until then, would you agree there is a need for quality education that is not being satisfied by our public education system?Public education in this country is almost 95%. The problem is the increase of private education compromises public education.How?Because we have people now who want to do home schooling ...How do Curro schools compromise public education?Because they're influenced by cash. If a parent has money now and is retrenched, they come back to the public education system. And when they come back you find that child was not doing an African language. So that child struggles and may eventually drop out. With the economic set-up we have now, more people are being retrenched and want to come back into the public education system, which then has to absorb them and therefore you have to put additional teachers.Would you agree that Curro schools give black children the chance of a good education?I agree, but it doesn't mean decent education is not available in the public system.Why are so many black parents sacrificing to send their children to Curro schools?It's their democratic choice. Check the number of parents queueing for public education. They queue at 2am.Outside former "Model C" schools, surely, not township schools?Not just former "Model C" schools. All our public education. Many of the top 26 learners in Gauteng last year were from township schools. But if people still have a perception that township schools are not important ...Twenty-four thousand black parents who send their children to Curro schools have that perception.Only because they're economically stronger than 15 years ago and feel they need the best the market can offer. To me as the state it means the money I was supposed to give to that child I can give to another child from a rural area.So private schools actually help you by taking a load off your budget?They are assisting in that regard, but I oppose the idea of commodifying education.Even if parents feel their needs are not being met by your schools?It's a choice. If I choose an apple, not an orange, it doesn't mean an orange is bad for my health. It doesn't mean public education is not meeting the need.According to the stats, 71% of Grade 6 children at public schools are functionally illiterate ...You will never remedy the education challenges of the past. You don't want to accept that infrastructure for example was not available to those that needed it ... Out of every 10 Grade 12 learners, eight of them pass Grade 12.Because so many drop out before they get to Grade 12?Surely not. I know that debate and it is baseless...