Minister given 7 days to bring schools reopening plan
LOBAMBA - Members of Parliament (MPS) have given the Minister of Education and Training, Lady Mabuza, seven days to submit a preparedness plan for the reopening of schools.
This happened yesterday at the House of Assembly after Dvokodvweni MP Mduduzi Magagula moved a motion to that effect.
Magagula said parents needed to know when exactly and how schools would be reopened plus issues related to fees they were expected to pay.
“The minister must state how many schools have received funds to cater for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs). Also, minister should detail how much has been provided to cater for free primary education (FPE),” Magagula submitted. He also mentioned that government should come out clear on the syllabus and whether pupils would be promoted to the next class. Seconding Magagula was Lomahasha MP Ndumiso Masimula, who said the COVID-19 situation was currently better and that pupils in neighbouring countries had returned to class.
Explain
“We have also seen consent forms expected to be signed by both pupils and parents. Government should explain this,” Masimula submitted. Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, who was standing in for Mabuza, accepted the motion and requested that the debate should be adjourned until the preparedness plan was tabled after the seven days. On another note, MPs raised a concern that Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Moses Vilakati had not been attending sittings off-late. As per yesterday’s Order Paper, Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo was meant to pose a question to Vilakati on why under his portfolio, three out of four parastatals had been without chief executive officers (CEOs) for a very long time. The Lobamba Lomdzala MP was going to ask if the minister was aware that by his action or inaction, the parastatals were becoming redundant. Seeing that the minister was not present, MP Khumalo implored the Prime Minister, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, who was present, to take action.