The three-year plight of registering the Amazing K independent school for autistic children with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) may soon come to an end.
This follows the Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow MEC Khume Ramulifho’s oversight visit to the school on 17 October. He has since decided to submit written questions to MEC Phanyaza Lesufi to ascertain exactly how many independent schools in the province are not registered due to the department’s tardiness.
Ramulifho established that the school was battling to get registered for the past three years and it did not have a health permit, health certificate and occupancy certificate. “Three-and-a-half years have passed and their plea to the department has fallen on deaf ears,” he said.
He complained that the department should have accelerated the registration process and swiftly assisted the school as independent schools relieve pressure on the department while allowing more pupils an access to education.
“Gauteng Education MEC, Lesufi, should ensure that all schools operating are complying with department registration regulations. He has a responsibility towards pupils with special needs in the province,” he said.
In its questions, the party would try to find out the number of unregistered operating schools known by the department, the number of submitted applications which the department did not respond to and the main reasons for not registering them.
The DA would also try to find out if the department was aware that some of the schools did not have required documents and what was done to help them comply with necessary regulations to get registered?
The school owner, Ilse Killian-Ross said she was excited that the DA was involved. She explained that it was extremely difficult for a parent of a special needs child, especially when they are forced to take their child’s education into their own hands.
“We want to give our children a fighting chance in the future or some form of independence. When we start schools, we get no guidance or advice from government departments and we are left to figure things out for ourselves,” she said.
The school has had a health and safety certificate for the past four years only to find out that it was not the right one.
The GDE acting spokesperson, Oupa Bodibe initially told Randburg Sun that the school had until 30 October to submit the required documents. “Once we receive all the required documents for registration we will then commence with the process,” he said.
