The Western Cape High Court heard arguments on both the challenges and opportunities regarding the collaboration schools model, which the provincial government argued makes high quality no-fee education available to over 12 300 learners in poor communities.
Today is day 2 of our #PublicSchoolDemocracy case. We are asking the court to:
— Equal Education (@equal_education) November 3, 2022
1. Declare that the introduction of collaboration schools, donor-funded schools and intervention facilities clashes with the Constitution. #WCSchoolsLaw https://t.co/LOs4XrKfwK pic.twitter.com/0BYZxpLENJ
“When the action was instituted, our collaboration schools were just getting off the ground. Since then, the model has produced excellent results, with learners having access to incredible learning opportunities.
Our collaboration school donors have contributed to the value of over R325 million to our schools to date, a contribution to our education sector that might otherwise not have been made. Of the schools using the model, 10 are new schools, offering over 8 300 no-fee school places to learners.”, provincial MEC of Education David Maynier said.
We must stop SADTU/Equal Education from shutting down our collaboration schools!
— David Maynier (@DavidMaynier) November 3, 2022
Read more here: https://t.co/KmPh2wrXFX pic.twitter.com/dOFKrTLbAp
Lawyers representing Maynier urged the court to stop Equal Education, and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) from shutting down collaboration schools.
Although parents must give permission for learners to be sent to these facilities, learners themselves are not given enough of a say in this decision. There is no court oversight in this process, which is very important because of the serious risk to a learners’ rights. pic.twitter.com/yynLuiEwGq
— Equal Education (@equal_education) November 2, 2022
2. Declare that collaboration schools, donor-funded schools, and intervention facilities clash with the South African Schools Act.
— Equal Education (@equal_education) November 3, 2022
3. Declare collaboration schools, donor-funded schools, and intervention facilities unlawful. #PublicSchoolDemocracy #WCSchoolsLaw
EE is asking the court to:
— Equal Education (@equal_education) November 2, 2022
* Declare that the introduction of collaboration schools, donor-funded schools and intervention facilities clashes with the Constitution. #WCSchoolsLaw #PublicSchoolDemocracy
Equal Education (EE) is represented by the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC).
