Realogile Secondary School learners in Khutsong continue to be deprived of their rights to access basic education as the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is delaying in providing resources at the alternative venue for schooling to take place.
Since February, there has been no schooling due to sinkholes, and the department has failed to prioritise this school to ensure that learning and teaching resume for the second term. As a result, learners are sitting at home, missing out on much-needed quality learning time.
This is unacceptable, and its high time that the Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, provides all the necessary services and resources such as connecting water and ensuring that the ablution facilities are functioning for the school to resume at the alternative venue while there are working on a permanent solution.
For far too long, GDE has constantly failed to fix the infrastructure challenges in schools across the province, leading to learners being taught in an environment that is not conducive and putting their lives at risk.
The DA is giving the department till Monday to provide resources and ensure that schooling resumes at the alternative venue. Failing to do so will leave us no option but to take this matter further with the South African Human Rights Commission.
Access to education is a basic right enriched by the Constitution and we will fight to ensure that GDE’s incompetence does not infringe on this right.