Western Cape Education MEC Jaco Londt
The Western Cape Education Department has welcomed the Supreme Court of Appeal judgment dismissing the appeals brought by Equal Education and the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) against provisions of the province’s School Education Amendment Act.
Education MEC Jaco Londt said the department has maintained that its education reforms are lawful, constitutional and firmly focused on advancing the best interests of learners.
The court had upheld an earlier ruling of the Western Cape High Court in 2023, which confirmed the lawfulness of legislative provisions relating to collaboration schools, donor-funded schools, intervention facilities and the Western Cape Schools Evaluation Authority (WCSEA).
“We are pleased that the Supreme Court of Appeal has now affirmed this position. The Court recognised that the right to basic education and the best interests of learners are at the heart of these matters and found no basis to overturn the provisions challenged by the appellants.”
