The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Wednesday again called for the provision of a free primary and secondary education as well as universally accessible education for early childhood development.
A working document under discussion at Cosatu’s national congress in Midrand noted that while access to general education had greatly improved, access to early childhood development, adult basic education and training, and further education training was limited, especially for the working class and the poor.
”We think that free quality public education for all is a basic human right. Universal education is crucial to broadening the skills base and economic development,” the document said.
It also included a range of proposals on solving the problem as well as transforming education.
”Ëducation transformation must be underpinned by principles of equity and redress to ensure equal access by all to qualify education, and that funding mechanisms must seek to achieve this.”
The labour federation called on its members to join school governing bodies in order to assist such bodies with organisational skills, to develop a working-class perspective within education, to campaign for the ending of fees, and — in the meantime — to ensure that the legal right to exemption from fees for poor families is enforced.
Other objectives included encouraging a culture of leaning, to fight HIV/Aids and to combat crime, drugs and other social problems at schools. — Sapa