The committee's chairperson, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, tells OFM News that they have since advised the department that these learners need to be placed as a matter of urgency. The pupils are part of thousands of learners across the country who are yet to be placed in various schools. Without giving the specific number of placed pupils, Mbinqo-Gigaba says the number of unplaced pupils is not a huge one hence the department needs to make sure that they are placed quickly.

The committee on Wednesday concluded its oversight visit to schools to assess the state of readiness of the department during the reopening of schools for the 2022 academic year.

“Our interest is to see every child being accepted in all the schools. We are done with our oversight and we have met with the provincial leadership of education in the province, with the intervention team. We had to go on the ground and go to schools that we have identified to see how ready the schools are and we must say that we are pleased with the fact that schooling is continuing,” she adds.

Mbinqo-Gigaba says there were also continuous challenges which include infrastructure at schools and scholar transport issues.

She adds that these matters must be dealt with by the Department of Education and Transport on an urgent basis.

Mbinqo-Gigaba previously told OFM News that the committee will on Wednesday head to the Free State, which has recently seen serious flooding at schools in QwaQwa following heavy rain.

“Our visit is just a normal visit where you check the readiness ahead of the academic year at schools. So there is nothing that was highlighted that made us come here, except for the fact that it’s the reopening of schools,” Mbinqo-Gigaba further added.

OFM News