Wishing WC learners well for the 2022 school year

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape would like to wish all learners well for the 2022 school year and encourage them in their studies for this year, despite the challenges faced since the start of the pandemic. For nearly two years, continued interruption due to lockdown regulations and rotational schedules have had negatively impacted on learning across the country.

It is time for the national government to bring stability and uninterrupted teaching to all learners by scrapping the 1m regulation and allow learners to return full time. I have invite the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to brief the committee on the state of learning in the province, the impact the regulations have had on schools as well as other challenges experienced at the beginning of school years such as unplaced learners.

MPP Lorraine Botha says: “While our learners have shown great fortitude and resilience over the last 2 years in adapting to the new ways of teaching, we now need to ensure that learners can receive the best education possible which would see them return full time.

In preparation for the school year, the WCED has also worked tirelessly to see to ensure that learners are placed as soon as possible. We have seen a great increase in the ability of the WCED to place learners this year with 451 Grade 1 and 2 450 Grade 8 learners that still need to be placed. In December last year, more than 4 600 Grade 1 learners and 8 765 Grade 8 learners were awaiting placement. This improvement is largely due to the hard work and partnership between parents, guardians and the WCED. The Department has built more than 200 new classrooms, accelerated the rehabilitation and expanded 16 schools, made available nearly 600 teaching posts in anticipation of the increase in learners.

However, every year the Department receives thousands of late application from parents and guardians making the placement of learners an on-going challenge. In some instances, parents and learners arrive on the first day of school year seeking placement for their children without having applied. I urge every parent and guardian, who is yet to apply, to go to their local WCED District office as soon as possible as we want to see every child in the Western Cape enjoy quality education.”

Regards

Lorraine Botha, MPP
DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Education

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