The council, made up of MEC’s from all the provinces, is expected to lay out a foundation for what needs to be addressed by the new minister and MECs to be appointed after the May 8 elections. The meeting will also outline what has been achieved by the department thus far in the different provinces and what will urgently need to be attended to by the elected MECs. Schools’ infrastructure development, the eradication of pit toilets in provinces such as the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and the North West, safety of teachers and learners, as well as racism in schools are amongst some of the issues expected to take centre stage at the meeting.

These issues are amongst those that made headlines and placed the department in the spotlight since last year.

Concerns regarding schools’ infrastructure gained momentum at the beginning of the year when four pupils at Hoërskool Driehoek in Vanderbijlpark died after a walkway, connecting two buildings, collapsed at the school.

This raised questions about the safety of learners at schools just months after reports that pit toilets at a number of schools in provinces such as the Eastern Cape claimed lives of learners.

Following shock waves made by a photo showing black and white pupils sitting separately according to race in a Grade R classroom at the Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke in the North West, expectations are high that Motshekga will speak on measures set to be taken to address such racial segregations at schools.

According to the department’s spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, the minister will tomorrow (Friday) hold a post-Council of Education Minister’s media briefing to give a progress report of the last term, reflecting on milestones and challenges faced.

OFM News