Department faces lawsuit over school stationery delay
Parents, supported by activists, are taking the Eastern Cape Department of Education to court for its failure to deliver books and stationery to more than 3 000 schools in the province.
The case is expected to be heard on 15 March, according to a GroundUp report.
‘Without stationery, learners are unable to function in the school environment. Writing material such as pens, pencils, notebooks and paper are needed to participate in lessons, projects and homework, and are an essential component of what constitutes a conducive learning environment,’ Petros Majola, from the Khula Development Project, said in court papers.
The organisation, concerned parents and some teachers want the court to declare the department’s inaction unlawful.
They also want the court to instruct the department to deliver the learning material to all schools by no later than 31 March.
They will be represented by the Legal Resources Centre.
The respondents include the Head of the Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education, the MEC for Education and the provincial government.
In January, the department informed schools that there would be delays delivering the stationery and textbooks in time for the start of the school year due to ‘unprecedented budget shortfalls’.
In a memo the department stated that textbooks would be delivered between March and May 2022.
‘Schools are therefore requested to utilise stationery that was provided in 2021 until they receive their 2022 consignments,’ the department said in the memo.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
