Portfolio committee on basic education has concerns about schools in Northern Cape

The portfolio committee on basic education has expressed concerns about crime that has plagued the Northern Cape.

The committee has been conducting its oversight visit in the province.

Committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said they had noted that crime such as theft, burglary and vandalism is a common denominator that plagues schools in the Z F Mgcawu education district where they visited eight schools over two days.

“All the crime problems that affect the schools in the district are caused by unemployment, high poverty levels, alcohol abuse and parents that are not interested in the education of their children,” she said. 

Mbinqo-Gigaba said the committee was proud that the province has made progress by improving by two positions in matric passes.

“However, we need quality passes, the kind of quality we have seen achieved by Gauteng and the Western Cape as both provinces delivered quality results,” Mbinqo-Gigaba said. 

She said school principals in many of the schools they visited decried the lack of parental involvement.

 “In most historically disadvantaged schools learners struggle with mathematics and physical science and there is a lack of interest by learners in those subjects,” she said.  

Mbinqo-Gigaba said the committee was concerned about the manner in which schools in the district are structured. 

“This district has many multi-grade and intermediate schools unlike in other provinces. We want primary and high schools as per the definition in other provinces. In multi-grade schools, learners of different grades are taught in the same classroom and intermediate schools are from grade R to either grade 8 or grade 9,” she said.

The committee is expected to wrap up its oversight visit in the province on Friday by visiting schools in the Frances Baard education district which includes Kimberley.