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The DA is concerned that our learners in Gauteng are being failed by the ANC-led government. After conducting an oversight visit to assess school readiness today, the DA has observed that many learners have still not been placed.

The Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) has failed to build schools on time despite the fact that they are given a sufficient budget.

This is denying our learners an opportunity to learn and access quality education that will enable them to either study further or seek employment opportunities after completing school.

This trend of the DID not completing school infrastructure on time is extremely concerning and the DA will be writing to Premier Makhura to ask him to withdraw school infrastructure projects from the DID.

This will enable MEC Lesufi to take over the responsibility of building schools and placing learners. Many projects have been implemented by the DID which are have been on hold for more than 8 months. This includes amongst others Braamfischer Primary, Nancefield Primary, Mayibuye Primary and Ruste Vaal Secondary.

At all these schools, the DID has appointed incompetent contractors who either failed to build schools according to specifications; failed to pay sub-contractors and/or failed to meet deadlines.

The DA is calling on MEC Lesufi to take responsibility for his department by ensuring that all schools are ready on time at the start of the academic year. Learners have lost enough due to the rotational learning system that has been put in place due to Covid and they are continuing to fall behind as the provincial government is not playing its part to accommodate all learners.

Further to this, the Education Department must review the online admission system to ensure that it guarantees parental choice. The current system places children far from their home and place of work of their parents.

Learning and teaching cannot be disrupted anymore.

The DA demands that the MEC speedily finalizes the placements of learners, so that they aren’t denied access to basic education.

Issued by DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education Khume Ramulifho