Gauteng’s Class of 2026 has spent years preparing for their final examinations. They deserve the opportunity to write under stable conditions, without water and electricity cuts or shortages of desks and chairs undermining their hard work.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is concerned that unresolved municipal debt, billing disputes, and inadequate school furniture could disrupt examinations if the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) fails to intervene urgently.
Last year, the DA raised concerns about water and electricity disconnections that disrupted matric examinations at Gauteng schools. These failures must not be repeated.
Education MEC Lebogang Maile must urgently engage the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and Gauteng municipalities to resolve outstanding municipal accounts and billing disputes while ensuring that schools’ water and electricity supplies remain uninterrupted during the examination period.
The GDE must also confirm that every examination centre has enough desks or tables and chairs for all learners scheduled to write. Learners should not have to rotate examination sittings or endure unnecessary disruption because of inadequate furniture.
These are basic requirements, reasonable demands. Examination readiness must involve more than preparing question papers and appointing invigilators. It requires functioning school infrastructure, adequate furniture, and contingency plans for emergencies.
Under a DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government, the province would prioritise school readiness well before examinations, address shortages promptly, and resolve municipal disputes through effective intergovernmental cooperation to protect essential services.
Our matriculants must be able to focus on their examinations, not worry about whether the lights will stay on, water will be available, or a desk will be provided.
The GDE must act now to prevent administrative and service-delivery failures from robbing learners of the opportunity to demonstrate what they have worked so hard to achieve.
Sergio Isa Dos Santos MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education
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