AfriForum Youth takes legal action for recognition of independent schools’ top achievers

AfriForum Youth today sent a letter of demand to the Eastern Cape’s Department of Education to request the national department’s record of decision-making, as well as the written reasons why independent schools and their learners are excluded from provincial recognition.

The youth organisation argues that such a decision is unreasonable, seeing that these learners follow the same curriculum as public schools and write the same exams. In addition, the department failed to consult with the public about the decision and to communicate it to independent schools.

AfriForum Youth learned about this issue when a learner, from the independent school Global Leadership Academy, approached the organisation for help because she got some of the best matric results (2021) in the Sarah Baartman district and in the Eastern Cape, but other learners, with poorer matric results, received recognition as top achievers in these areas. The issue was reported to the department by the learner’s family and school staff, but the department failed to adequately correspond with them. AfriForum Youth now demands that the department forward the official academic placement of the learner, as well as the list of top achievers in the Eastern Cape.

Furthermore, AfriForum Youth requests a meeting with the national department of education to discuss the decision that independent schools and their learners are excluded from the recognition as top achievers.

“As the government’s capacity decays, communities are increasingly forced to take responsibility for their children’s education themselves and we cannot allow them to be treated unfairly as a result of solutions, such as independent schools,” concludes René van der Vyver, spokesperson for AfriForum Youth.