Fix School Infrastructure Regulations with Katherine Sutherland from Equal Education Law Centre


                                                   
One of the important rights that there are to discuss in South Africa is school infrastructure and regulations that need to be upheld. There are steps backwards that regard development in basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, classrooms toilets, and fencing. On the 28th of May, a day before the elections, the Department of Basic Education published revised School Infrastructure Regulations that removed many deadlines and shifted to having Provincial Education Departments submit detailed plans on the implementation of their programs 90 days after beginning the financial year. This represents a clear diluting of responsibility amongst the department. 

                                            

Civil society calls on new Minister of Basic Education to fix the School Infrastructure Regulations to ensure children’s safety in schools. Organizations have joined together to put together a joint statement such as Equal Education Law Centre, Equal Education, +Section 27 (Catalysts for social justice) and Legal Resources centre. They have expressed their concern in this dilution of the obligation to make urgent and adequate provision for infrastructure at public schools. They believe that this is retrogressive and will only worsen backlogs that already exist. They want these regulations to be prioritized. The EELC provides many services. They provide support for campaigns led by their collaborating organizations. They provide a walk-in clinic that gives legal support to individuals and communities were learners' rights are at stake. They also are registered as a law clinic with the Cape Law Society and its staff of social justice lawyers specialize in education policy and more.


We got the chance to speak to Katherine Sutherland, the legal researcher, from Equal Education Law Centre. We engaged in conversation with her about what exactly are the amendments that the DBE made, how the EELC came to fight against it, what do they hope to get out of it and why the timing of these regulations are long overdue. Katherine made sure to mention that the organizations involved have been advocates for these issues for a long time coming and how important collaboration is. She explains that if the DBE don't reach their deadlines then they'll simply change that so that they don't have to. She says that a lot of issues are related to allocation and spending often differing province to province. All in all there is an array of issues in schools from having enough desks and chairs to pit toilets to quality of physical classrooms.
You can read more of their statement at https://eelawcentre.org.za/joint-statement-civil-society-calls-on-new-minister-of-basic-education-to-fix-the-school-infrastructure-regulations-to-ensure-childrens-safety-in-public-schools/


You can learn more about the Equal Education Law Centre at https://eelawcentre.org.za/


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