uMgungundlovu residents unconvinced by KZN school merger plan
Some residents in uMgungundlovu have voiced their opposition to the
mergers of hundreds of schools in KwaZulu-Natal.
The provincial Education Department plans to merge about 900 schools in rural areas, which it says are small and non-viable.
But some residents say this will prevent pupils from getting a quality education at schools closer to where they live.
A committee from the department held a public consultation at the Grange Community Hall in Pietermaritzburg over the weekend.
Local resident Reshida Naidoo says the planned mergers will negatively impact poor families.
"This will deeply hurt and affect the economy, the children, the families, the communities, the educators, the headmasters. Some who live below the bread line, many whom I have met there are incredibly dedicated teachers and educators, as well as inspectors, who are the real fabric of our community there."
READ: IFP says consultation needed before merging schools
An emotional Naidoo says instead of shutting down schools with low numbers the department should support them.
"This decision will gravely hurt the impoverished in our society where drugs and gangsterism are right now killing our precious children. What would happen to them? these actions seem to keep them down and not lift them up.
