The tendency of the KZN Department of Education of knee-jerk reaction when challenges are reported in schools contributes to disruption in schools after parents of learners in Wentworth’s Austerville Primary School closed it down and have vowed to keep the school closed as it has been labelled hazardous to pupils.
“What is happening in this school is the results of lackadaisical attitude by the KZN Department of Education. Whenever there are problems being reported to schools the department take its own time to resolve those challenges. This ineptitude by the KZN Department of Education is affecting the future of our children.
According to parents, the school has been labelled in “crisis”. This after details emerged of the school’s desperate situation which includes that there had been no audited financial records since 2016, extremely dangerous toilets, a utility bill in arrears of more than R300 000 and the fact that suppliers have not been paid,” said IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson on Education, Mrs Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa MPL.
“The Inkatha Freedom Party calls on the KZN MEC of Education, Mthandeni Dlungwane to make Austerville Primary School his priority by sending auditors to scrutinise the school’s finances. Also, with regards to rooting out the present scourge of funds mismanagement we propose that this practice of unannounced audits must be carried out on a regular basis at all schools.
Above that, the amount of reports on dangerous learning facilities and unsafe structures, especially unsafe toilets in our schools is shocking and cannot be tolerated. The provincial department must account for state of infrastructure in schools across the province. It concerns us as the IFP that despite the budget allocation of more than R2-billion to upgrade school infrastructure and maintain facilities, the department continues to massively under achieve targets set for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure norms and standards at our schools” continued Mrs Madlopha-Mthethwa.
“We therefore urge the MEC to fulfil his Constitutional obligation, in an open and transparent manner, to take the steps necessary to address the massive inequalities in the provision of education and to prevent the complete collapse of the education system in the province,” concluded Mrs Madlopha-Mthethwa.
Issued by:
Mrs Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa MPL
IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson on Education
079 114 3015 / 071 884 3844