NGOs, EFF call on Basic Education Minister to fulfil a 10-year-old promise to fix ailing schools infrastructure

Johnathan Paoli

Civil society organisations, including Equal Education, Section27, The Bookery and Right2Protest, on Wednesday called on the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga to urgently fulfil the legal obligations set out in the Norms and Standards for Public School infrastructure, which she signed into law 10 years ago.

29 November 2023 marks 10 years since the Norms & Standards for Public School Infrastructure was published.

“This letter expresses our concern and disappointment that despite it being 10 years since the promulgation of the Regulations relating to Minimum Uniform Norms & Standards for Public School Infrastructure, many schools’ infrastructure conditions have not improved,” the letter read.

EE said that despite this important law, the government continued to struggle to ensure all learners have access to quality schooling, leaving many school communities to contend with deplorable infrastructure conditions.

Earlier this month, Equal Education released a 48-page report under the title “Schooling