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The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga has failed to meet the 15 May 2013 deadline to draft and publish the revised regulations of the minimum uniform norms and standards for public school infrastructure.
 
I will write to the chairperson of the portfolio committee on Basic Education, Hope Malgas, to request that the Minister table her revised regulations before the committee as soon as possible after 15 June 2013 (the extended deadline to publish revised norms and standards), explain to the committee exactly why she has taken as long as she has to develop standards, and ask why she had to be threatened with legal action, once again, to force the execution of her duties..

The DA joined many concerned South Africans in responding to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s call in January 2013, for comment on her draft regulations relating to minimum uniform norms and standards for public school infrastructure. The draft regulations were inadequate, constituted a serious affront to every learner to whom the Minister is accountable and to every citizen who cares about achieving optimum educational standards in this country. Our comment can be found here <https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_-slGu8-FTxVVI5QWkwaU9SRUk/edit?usp=sharing> .
 
The process of developing infrastructure norms and standards began with the Minister's predecessor, Naledi Pandor, in 2008, but was never completed by the current incumbent.
 
The Minister had to be threatened with court action to force her to agree to gazetting such norms. She agreed, also under threat of court action, to consider comments on the draft and to publish the revised regulations by 15 May 2013. Not many will be surprised that she has not adhered to this promise.
 
Minister Motshekga has instead requested an extension in a letter to lobby group Equal Education last week.

The Minister wrote: “I have appointed a consultant who has a great deal of experience and skill in legal drafting, I am confident that, with his assistance, greatly improved norms and standards will be developed.”

Equal Education has agreed, very magnanimously, to grant the Minister an extension of one month.
 
The letter requesting an extension is yet another insult to those learners who attend school in unsafe and inappropriate structures, and who do not have access to resources that will allow an optimal education experience.
 
There is no good reason for the Minister not to have gazetted acceptable norms and standards, together with a realistic implementation plan the first time round. The process of developing standards has been on-going for five years. The Minister has absolutely no excuse other than a lack of will or interest.