Equal Education says Angie Motshekga has refused to discuss a controversial statement issued by her ministry.
|||Cape Town - Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has refused to discuss a “racist” statement issued by her ministry last week, according to the advocacy group Equal Education.
Motshekga, Deputy Basic Education Minister Enver Surty and the nine Education MECs met Equal Education on Sunday “to discuss the finalisation of minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure”.
“During the meeting, minister Motshekga refused to discuss the racist and misleading statement she released last week. She has suggested a separate meeting about the issue. Equal Education will take up this opportunity to meet,” the group said.
It demanded that Motshekga retract the statement and issue a public apology.
The ministry statement released last week said it had noted the “sudden interest” that Equal Education was taking in the education of the African child.
“However, to suddenly see a group of white adults organising black African children with half-truths can only be opportunistic, patronising and simply dishonest to say the least,” it stated.
Equal Education said Sunday’s meeting had been “robust, frank and constructive”, but no agreement was reached. “Any future agreement concluded between Equal Education and the Department of Basic Education must be made an order of the court.”
According to Equal Education, Motshekga signed a settlement agreement in November in which she committed to consult fully and publish binding school infrastructure regulations by May 15. However, it claimed, she was now in breach of this agreement.
The group said that minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure would set the basic level of infrastructure every school must meet in order to function properly. This would include toilets, running water, electricity, libraries, safe classrooms, sports fields and perimeter security. Communities would then be able to hold government accountable if their school fell short of these requirements.
Motshekga’s spokeswoman, Hope Mokgatlhe, was contacted for comment but by deadline no response had been received. Asked by an eNCA reporter if she believed she owed the group an apology, Motshekga said: “No. Apology for what?”
She said it was an allegation that the statement had been racist, adding that the group’s unhappiness had been noted. Last week the ministry said norms and standards could not be published at the whim of Equal Education.
Cape Argus