MOVEMENT LAWYERING · Above from left: Chandre Stuurman, Adv Aymone du Toit, Nurina Ally, Adv Geoff...
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EELC Newsletter - March 2018 Movement lawyering II Community lawyering II Research and Advocacy The Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) uses legal advocacy, research, and litigation to advance the struggle for equal and quality education in South Africa. MOVEMENT LAWYERING School infrastructure: Equal Education takes Minister Angie Motshekga to court to #FixTheNorms Above from left: Chandre Stuurman, Adv Aymone du Toit, Nurina Ally, Adv Geoff Budlender SC, Daniel Linde On 14 and 15 March, EE were in court to #FixTheNorms. The school infrastructure law (the Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure) was published on 29 November 2013. For the first time, South Africa had a law which provided for minimum school infrastructure requirements and deadlines by which those standards should be met. However, the school infrastructure law has significant gaps. At the hearing in March, EE explained to the court how unconstitutional loopholes and gaps in the infrastructure law can be used by government to evade responsibiity and undermine accountability. Judgment has been reserved. Read the full media statement HERE. COMMUNITY LAWYERING Above: EELC's attorney Tarry Cooper-Bell [left] and community members at Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape. The EELC visits Eastern Cape advice offices On 12 and 13 March the EELC’s Tarryn Cooper-Bell and Zusipe Batyi visited Mtata community-based advice centres in the Eastern Cape. The objective of the visit was to inform the centres about education law and the legal services the EELC provides to communities and learners who encounter education injustices. The EELC to host a two day walk-in clinic in the Eastern Cape The Equal Education Law Centre will host a two day walk-in clinic in the Eastern Cape at King William's Town on 20 and 21 April 2018. The walk-in clinic will be an opportunity for parents and learners to speak directly with our lawyers about education related matters, ranging from school infrastructure, corporal punishment, school admissions, fee exemptions, and gender discrimination in schools. RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY The EELC hosts roundtable discussions on early child education Above: EELC and various organizations at the ECD roundtable discussion held at Isivivana, Khayelitsha. On 16 March 2018, the EELC hosted a roundtable discussion on the regulatory and funding frameworks impacting on early childhood education. Unequal access to early childhood development services persists in South Africa despite efforts to introduce policy and funding initiatives to improve equity. The roundtable brought together community based organisations, researchers and a representative from the Department of Social Development with the aim of criticaly interrogating current regulatory frameworks and identifying areas for focused intervention. Contact the EELC 021 461 1421 II [email protected] II www.eelawcentre.org.za
Transcript of MOVEMENT LAWYERING · Above from left: Chandre Stuurman, Adv Aymone du Toit, Nurina Ally, Adv Geoff...
EELCNewsletter-March2018
MovementlawyeringIICommunitylawyeringIIResearchandAdvocacyTheEqualEducationLawCentre(EELC)useslegaladvocacy,research,andlitigationtoadvancethestruggleforequalandqualityeducationinSouthAfrica.
MOVEMENTLAWYERING
Schoolinfrastructure:EqualEducationtakesMinisterAngieMotshekgatocourtto#FixTheNorms
Abovefromleft:ChandreStuurman,AdvAymoneduToit,NurinaAlly,AdvGeoffBudlenderSC,DanielLinde
On14and15March,EEwereincourt to#FixTheNorms. The school infrastructurelaw (the Minimum Norms and Standardsfor School Infrastructure) was publishedon29November2013.For the first time,SouthAfricahadalawwhichprovidedforminimum school infrastructurerequirements and deadlines by whichthosestandardsshouldbemet.However,the school infrastructure law hassignificant gaps.At the hearing inMarch,EE explained to the court howunconstitutionalloopholesandgapsintheinfrastructure law can be used bygovernment to evade responsibiity andundermine accountability. Judgment hasbeen reserved. Read the full mediastatementHERE.
COMMUNITYLAWYERING
Above:EELC'sattorneyTarryCooper-Bell[left]andcommunitymembersatMqanduliintheEasternCape.
TheEELCvisitsEasternCapeadviceoffices
On12and13March theEELC’sTarrynCooper-Bell andZusipeBatyi visitedMtatacommunity-basedadvicecentresintheEasternCape.Theobjectiveofthevisitwastoinform thecentresabouteducation lawand the legal services theEELCprovides tocommunitiesandlearnerswhoencountereducationinjustices.
TheEELCtohostatwodaywalk-inclinicintheEasternCape
TheEqualEducationLawCentrewillhostatwodaywalk-inclinicintheEasternCapeat King William's Town on 20 and 21 April 2018. The walk-in clinic will be anopportunityforparentsandlearnerstospeakdirectlywithourlawyersabouteducationrelated matters, ranging from school infrastructure, corporal punishment, schooladmissions,feeexemptions,andgenderdiscriminationinschools.
RESEARCHANDADVOCACY
TheEELChostsroundtablediscussionsonearlychildeducation
Above:EELCandvariousorganizationsattheECDroundtablediscussionheldatIsivivana,Khayelitsha.
On16March2018, theEELChosteda roundtablediscussionon the regulatoryandfundingframeworks impactingonearlychildhoodeducation.Unequalaccess toearlychildhood development services persists in South Africa despite efforts to introducepolicy and funding initiatives to improve equity. The roundtable brought togethercommunity based organisations, researchers and a representative from theDepartment of Social Development with the aim of criticaly interrogating currentregulatoryframeworksandidentifyingareasforfocusedintervention.
ContacttheEELC0214611421IIinfo@eelawcentre.org.zaIIwww.eelawcentre.org.za
