The head of the Eastern Cape’s Education Department Dr Naledi Mbude has given assurance that the province is on track to welcome learners back when schools in coastal provinces reopen next week.

Parents in some areas have accused the department of dragging its feet in fixing schools that were damaged by storms during the December holidays. Mbude says that they’ve assessed the situation.

“We are ready to open schools in terms of the readiness assessment that the national department sends to all provinces. The Eastern Cape has been hit by disaster, but in terms of our readiness, the province is ready. We’re waiting for contractors because of the issue of construction, the industry on its own is closed during the December holidays and now we are ready for them to move on the 57 schools, while the 39 others are being assessed because every day there’s something that happens to the buildings.”

Mbude on the province’s readiness for the 2022 academic year: