Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu Visited Khanyisa School for the Blind.
On 1 February 2012, a high level delegation comprising of national and provincial representatives of the Departments of Basic Education and Social Development, the Nelson Mandela Bay metropol's ward councillors and the Deputy Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Hedrietta Bogopane Zulu, and the Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development visited the embattled Khanyisa School for the Blind.
The dysfunctionality of the school in terms of its governance, management, the recent allegations in the media and its HR challenges were all brought to the fore.
The outcome of the meeting was positive with the National and Provincial departments of Education undertaking a skills audit and an audit of learner profiles and performances. Learner teacher support material and the specific needs of visually impaired students were also seen to. A full audit of the equipment needed at the Braille centre, to make it operational, will also be conducted.
The Deputy Minister and MEC also met with learners, and will meet with educators and parents, as to the school’s woes and an election of a new governing body will take place no later than 31 March 2012.
The SA National Council for the Blind will work with all the stakeholders to ensure good governance and management. The funding model of the school has also been referred to cabinet because all schools of learners with special needs will be influenced. We have also asked the Eastern Cape DoE to try to find ways of accommodating learners for whom Afrikaans is a first language within the province or to assist in integrating other provinces to make allowances for learners from the Eastern Cape.
