Equal Education (EE) will be hosting the official public launch of its first Eastern Cape office on the 9th of March in King William’s Town, Eastern Cape.
Equal Education’s Eastern Cape office was established on 10 October 2014, and has been operating from King William’s Town with 4 permanent staff members. The office was set up with the following key mandates:
1. Michael Komape School Infrastructure Campaign: Norms and Standards Implementation
On 29 November 2013, after 3 years of tireless campaigning for the adoption of Basic Norms and Standards for school Infrastructure, the law was finally promulgated by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. Since then, Equal Education’s Norms and Standards campaign has entered a second phase. This second phase involves activism and monitoring around the demand that the Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure are fully implemented. EE has named this part of our campaign in honour of the late Michael Komape, a primary school learner who died after falling into a dilapidated pit latrine at his school in Limpopo. Through regular schools visits, mass meetings, engagement with the Province, and other organising work, the new Eastern Cape office of Equal Education is leading the Michael Komape campaign.
2. Youth Work, Community Organising and Campaigns in King William’s Town and other Areas.
The most crucial part of Equal Education’s daily work is youth and community organising, which the organisation mobilises through youth groups with high school members (“equalisers”). Youth group is the foundation of EE’s ability to develop and mobilise young activist leaders committed to fighting education inequality. Specifically, youth group programming is designed to encourage equalisers to think critically about our education system, society, law, history and policy, and ultimately provide insight and guidance for the political direction of EE. The content of youth groups include reading historical texts, discussing current affairs, learning about how the education system works, and planning specific actions to address educational problems in through school based campaigns. EE currently works with equalisers from eight schools in the King William’s Town District, and is supported by a dedicated youth organiser and a team of 12 facilitators. In addition to this work around King William’s Town, the Eastern Cape office is leading the continued youth group work of Equal Education in Maluti District, where EE has a longstanding relationship with learners at Moshesh Senior Secondary, and is beginning to organise youth in other schools in the district.
Equal Education invites members of the public, stakeholders in education and different media houses to join the Eastern Cape office in its official public launch. There will be presentations made by members of EE’s Eastern Cape team on their plans and progress thus far as well as short presentations from some learners. There also will be an opportunity to ask questions and engage EE on its Eastern Cape work. The launch will be on the 9th of March starting at 6pm at 23 Taylor Street, Lonsdale Chambers, 2nd floor. All RSVP’s must be made to honjiswa@equaleducation.org.za by Friday (6 March).
For more information contact:
Nombulelo Nyathela (spokesperson)
060 503 4933
Lumkile Zani (Head of the EC office)
084 607 5336
Daniel Linde (Deputy Head of the EC office) 083 601 0091
