04/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/17/2024 06:07
Please find attached a soundbite byBaxolile (Bax) Nodada MP.
While the ANC-led government remains hellbent on the BELA Bill, the DA can reveal that 31 462 vacancies remain unfilled across our public schools. This starkly shows the ANC's disregard for basic education, and it is sadly unsurprising that our real matric pass rate sits at 55.3%.
Unfilled vacancies see classroom overcrowding, which explains why some schools have been reported with up to 70 pupils sharing one teacher. Unfilled vacancies, however, are just the tip of the iceberg, as public schools are significantly short of infrastructure. Pupils are forced to sit in unsafe classrooms, use pit latrines, as well as share furniture, textbooks, and stationery. These lead to terrible educational outcomes for children, as 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning.
These vacancies are also concentrated in our poorer, more rural provinces, with KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape having the highest at 7 044 and 6 111, respectively. Provinces also cannot fill their vacancies, as their budgets have been slashed. For instance, the Western Cape's budget has been cut by almost R900 million by the National Government, which has seen its higher rates of vacancies.
While the ANC touts the BELA Bill, this will only worsen educational outcomes. The DA is against the BELA Bill, which seeks to disempower schools by notably doing the following:
The DA, meanwhile, has a plan to rescue our failing education system. We will:
Urgent change is needed to rescue our children from a failing basic education system, and this can only be achieved through the ballot box. On May 29th, we must vote to put our children's education first and ensure that they have the brightest futures ahead.