Today, 15 March 2012, learners across the country finished school and went home where they talked to their neighbours about the importance of minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure. The Day of Door-to-Door Visits forms part of Equal Education’s (EE) 10 Days of Action that will culminate next week with a Human Rights Day march through Khayelitsha.
The 10 Days of Action follow EE’s announcement that it has initiated legal action against the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, and the nine provincial MECs for Education. As EE Coordinator Doron Isaacs explained last week at a press conference: “The papers seek an order compelling Minister Motshekga to prescribe minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure. This is the most far-reaching court case about the right to basic education to have been launched in democratic South Africa.”School infrastructure is a vital component of a basic education. School infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, is in an appalling state. Almost 3,600 schools do not have electricity. 92% of schools do not have a functioning library and in the Eastern Cape there are still 395 mud schools.
Tomorrow, Friday 16 March 2012, learners will engage with each other across the country using social media. Before and after school and during break time, learners will discuss the state of their schools, what infrastructure they lack and share ideas on how to improve the situation. On Twitter learners will be using the hash tag #10DOA (10 Days of Action) and they will post on the EE Facebook page. On Saturday, 17 March 2012, there will be a ‘flash mob’ at the Cape Town Station at 11h00. Hundreds of learners will come together to perform a short dance in the crowd before distributing pamphlets to onlookers. A Parents’ Workshop will also take place that to share the campaign with learners’ parents and answer questions. On Sunday learners will speak in their churches and in their communities about the campaign.
On Wednesday next week, 21 March 2012, EE supporters will march through the streets of Khayeltisha. The march will start at 09h00 at Qandani Peace Park.
For more information please contact Yoliswa Dwane 072 342 7747 or 021 387 0022/3 or Brad Brockman/ 072 267 8489
