NCOP committee wants DBE to focus on admissions & teaching on first day of school

CAPE TOWN - The National Council of Province (NCOP)'s select committee dealing with basic education wants the department to focus on admissions and teaching on the first day of school.

The committee’s chairperson, Makhi Feni, has also called on Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube to not use the new regulation in the BELA Act for political gain for the legislation’s opponents.

The National Assembly's basic education portfolio committee, meanwhile, said that pupils must be given the right support as they received their final results on Tuesday.

The two committees from the National Assembly and NCOP added their voices to the results release and the start of the new school year.

Select committee on education, science and creative industries chairperson, Feni, said the opening of school coincided with the release of the 2024 matric results.

In a statement, Feni noted how lobby groups had taken the minister to court and lost their bid to block the publication of the matric results in newspapers.

Feni also called on Gwarube to bring to Parliament the norms and regulations regarding the complete implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.

Feni described as "unfortunate" reports that grade 12 learners had paid a fee to view their results, calling this another form of extortion that should not be entertained.

Basic education portfolio committee chairperson, Joy Maimela, meanwhile said that while the focus of Tuesday was on grade 12 results, "reflections should be on the system in its entirety".