Overcrowding at public schools a major concern, says NAPTOSA
Ahead of the kick off of the 2024 academic year for pupils on Wednesday, teachers’ organisation said overcrowding impacted the quality of education learners received.
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JOHANNESBURG - With only a day to go before schools reopen, the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) has raised concerns about longstanding overcrowding at public schools.
Millions of new and returning pupils will kick off the 2024 academic year on Wednesday.
NAPTOSA has also noted how Gauteng and the Western Cape's quality of education is impacted by overcrowding.
The organisation's executive director, Basil Manuel, said the overcrowding in these provinces should be dealt with swiftly.
“If we want quality education, if we want all our kids to be able to read etc. there must be sufficient space in schools so that attention can be paid to every child."
In 2023, Eyewitness News reported that teaching and learning were disrupted at Relebogile Secondary School in Khutsong, Carltonville, owing to sinkholes.
This resulted in pupils missing three months of schooling, and some pupils were subsequently accommodated at nearby schools.
This further compounded the challenge of overcrowding.