KWAZULU-NATAL – Prime Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube has outlined the provincial government’s plans to convert non-viable schools with dwindling student numbers into vocational training centres. Dube-Ncube was speaking during school monitoring visits to Umbumbulu in the Umlazi district to assess progress since the start of the 2023 school year.
The Premier is leading the provincial monitoring programme to assess progress since the start of the 2023 academic calendar. The visits began on Wednesday, 1 February, and will conclude on Friday, 3 February.
During Wednesday’s visits, the focus was on issues related to the viability of schools with declining enrolment.
Dube-Ncube, accompanied by members of the provincial legislature and officials from the Ministry of Education, visited Ekudeyeni Primary School and Madundube Primary School in Umbumbulu, where they were provided with a checklist to assess the schools’ intake capacity, attendance of students and teachers, school feeding programme, provision of support materials for students and involvement of school management.
The Premier learnt that for the 2023 school year, there are about three million students enrolled in over 6,000 schools in the province.
Dube-Ncube said the provincial government was in discussion with the Ministries of Education and Higher Education and Training to discuss the possibility of converting some of the schools with good infrastructure into vocational training centres to address the shortage of technical skills.
“We feel that some of the schools that have good infrastructure but are unused or have been closed due to declining student numbers need to be converted into vocational training centres to address the shortage of technical skills because we have a shortage of technically qualified personnel that we need as a country for our development.
“The training required includes, among others, tradesmen, plumbers, electricians, construction and carpentry so that the youth in the townships and rural areas can be equipped with the necessary skills to start their own businesses,” said Dube-Ncube.
The Prime Minister also expressed concern over reports of thefts and vandalism at schools and called on the community to show active citizenship and work with the police to protect school facilities and buildings from vandalism, theft and destruction.
“The safety of teachers, school children and property is also the responsibility of communities to work with law enforcement to bring perpetrators to justice. We cannot afford to constantly replace vandalised infrastructures when we should be focusing on educating world-class students by building libraries and laboratories so that we equip students with the necessary skills for the digital economy,” said the Prime Minister.
The issue of multiple classes, where one teacher teaches several classes at the same time, was also raised.
The Ministry of Education said teachers who fall under this category will be empowered and trained to ensure that effective learning and teaching takes place.
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