The education department is tightening rules to deny political parties access to schools during teaching time.
The decision was taken at a recent meeting of the Council of Education Ministers, which represents the nine provincial ministers and the national minister of education. The council was reacting to reports that politicians will use schools as platforms to canvass support for their parties in the coming elections.
At the beginning of the year, opposition parties took issue with the ANC’s president, Jacob Zuma, and Gauteng’s MEC of education, Angie Motshekga, after their high-profile visit to Bhukulani Secondary School in Zondi, Soweto.
Recently the controversial ANC Youth League leader, Julius Malema, visited Prudence Secondary School in Moletsane, Soweto in what was widely seen as a form of electioneering. Before the council’s decision to review the rules, there were no mechanisms in place to empower principals to vet requests from outside parties. The Teacher spoke to some educators about how they process such requests in the absence of a uniform national policy.
The deputy-principal at Bryanston High School in Gauteng said if the school believed that a visit by an outside party would have any educational benefits, it would be accommodated during a special assembly. Otherwise the school’s policy is to avoid any disruption to learning during school hours.
“Politics is definitely a no-no because of its sensitive nature, plus the fact that our children come from families who support different political parties. If there is any request, it is looked at carefully to see if it has any educational value, but schooling will always comes first,” she said.
Andrew Graaf of Alexandra High School in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal said the school could grant permission to outsiders only after consulting the school management team and, if necessary, the school governing body. “But we basically believe teaching time is sacrosanct. Any request to address our learners would have to be by invitation. We screen every request. If it is a political request we would certainly not entertain it at all,” he said.
Education department spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele conceded that without clear guidelines principals might find it difficult to deal with such requests. He said the department had always emphasised that any activity which is not related to learning and teaching, should be accommodated after school hours.
“In the main we have relied on teachers’ consciences, as well as the understanding of the immediate communities and other role-players, to respect teaching time. There are instances when people may approach schools with a proposal that may benefit the schools in one way or the other and we always trusted our principals would act in the best interest of education,” said Ngqengelele.
Duncan Hindle, director-general of the education department, said the council’s decision would address the gap by “tightening those guidelines”. He said a distinction should be made between programmes that are educational and those that are political. Educational programmes could be taught as part of life orientation, but political programmes should take place after school.
“This is not about cutting out teachers from the rest of society as schools are part of the community. Schools can be made available to communities after hours and this should be done in a non-partisan way,” said Hindle.
The council also expressed concern about billboards that promote alcohol or tobacco products and party political messages on school property.