Branches of the EFF will be deployed to primary schools on Wednesday January 9 to ensure that the admission of grade one learners commences without any glitches‚ the party said on Tuesday.
“All EFF branches will report to their nearest primary schools for the back to school campaign. We will be there to help teachers and parents for a successful registration period and first day at school‚” party spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in a statement.
The class of 2019 is expected to complete its matric in 2030.
Ndlozi called on the education department to ensure that the bulk of these children made it to their matric year.
“Care must be given to ensure quality education‚ not only 12 years later when the department cannot account for over 60% of them‚ as is the case each year during matric results‚” he said.
“The South African education system must correct the sin of child neglect it has committed over the years. Just in the last five years‚ of the learners who started grade 1 more than 12 years ago‚ the department only managed to pass an average of 35%. Over 60% have either failed‚ or dropped out‚ and no doubt‚ [the] majority of these children are the black poor in townships and rural areas.
“No country must ever satisfy itself with such a track record‚ unable to ensure that [the] majority of its youth‚ particularly the poor and marginalised‚ attains a national senior certificate. It is the greatest shame on the ANC government that they could not improve this situation‚ thus keeping millions of black youth in a permanent state of under-education‚” he added.