MEC to tackle schools crisis in northern areas

EASTERN Cape Education MEC Mandla Makupula will be in Nelson Mandela Bay next month attempting to address a major school shortage that has seen hundreds of children battling to find a classroom, especially in the city's northern areas.

Speaking to the media before premier Noxolo Kiviet's state of the province address in Bhisho on Friday, Makupula said while the department had built schools in the Bay, it had not been able to meet the demands of the rapid population growth in the northern areas.

"The demand for classrooms is increasing. We are also dealing with a migration from rural to urban areas, from township schools to former Model C schools. Parents are also moving their children from schools that are not performing to those that produce better results. This is where we then find there is also a demand for teachers," Makupula said.