Africa-Press – South-Africa. BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane has taken a swipe at President Cyril Ramaphosa over his recent comments on improving schools while the basic education department battles budget cuts.
Speaking at the 24th annual National Teaching Awards at the weekend, Ramaphosa expressed his desire to set up a fund to upgrade his former school and other schools after seeing their poor conditions.
“The school that I attended is in a much worse condition than it was when I attended, and that broke my heart. But that propelled me to mobilise people who attended the school to say, let us set up a fund in an attempt to improve education. Government cannot do it alone. We must join hands and be proud of the schools that we attended and do something about it now that we have become as successful as we are,” Ramaphosa said.
Last year videos of Ramaphosa visiting his old high school, Raluswielo Secondary in Venda, caused a stir on social media as many criticised him for the poor infrastructure at the school while he is president.
Maimane criticised Ramaphosa’s initiative and accused him of not prioritising education. He argued that the budget to improve education should be allocated within the education budget.
“No, Mr Ramaphosa. The fund already exists — it’s called the education budget and taxpayers are paying for it already,” Maimane said.
“The problem is that you keep making education a side chick. You are even cutting the budget and teachers are being fired in schools that are overcrowded.
“You need to pay as much attention to education as you pay to independent power producers. You need to stop pretending it is OK to have an education system where a pass mark can be 30% or 40%. You need to stop acting like it’s OK to have 40% of children drop out before grade 12.”
On Friday, BOSA led a picket alongside unemployed teachers against proposed education budget cuts and cuts in teacher posts in the Western Cape.
Last month Ramaphosa signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill into law, which aims to address key challenges hindering the education system in South Africa. Maimane raised concerns about its effectiveness in improving education quality.
“You signed the Bela Bill, but it changes nothing about the quality of education in this nation. The schools you saw in disrepair and in dilapidated states are seen everywhere and every day by South Africans. Can you stop acting shocked and shock us with real action in education? Does this GNU care about the 13-million children who go to failing schools in this nation?” he said.
Ramaphosa is the chair of Adopt-a-School Foundation, a nonprofit which helps refurbish schools across the country. He has been involved in the initiative since the early 2000s.
“I promised that I want to go around the country to encourage those of us who have become successful to go back to our schools and see the conditions they are in. I want to go district by district,” he said.
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