They don't want milk. They want tablet computers.
The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) in Limpopo has accused the provincial department of education of undermining pupils. The department recently revealed that it would be providing milk to pupils in schools as part of the school nutrition programme.
Cosas said yesterday that they felt the department was taking them for granted.
"As Cosas, we refuse to be provided with milk while our counterparts in Gauteng are being provided with (tablets)," said provincial secretary Abia Makola.
"We only heard through the media that the menu would change in schools and that milk would be served to pupils. We want the department to prioritise the education of our pupils by providing them with resources that would make learning easy," he said.
According to Makola, the milk that started being served to pupils in schools two weeks ago was not enough to cater for all the pupils.
"We want to make it clear that our pupils are not cats. We are emotionally paralysed to see pupils in Gauteng receiving tablets while we are being served with milk," Makola said.
He said they had also received calls that some of the pupils were falling ill as a result of the milk.
"We want e-learning and nothing else," Makola said.
He further said they felt embarrassed by selfies of Limpopo pupils being served milk while Gauteng pupils were carrying tablets.
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi supplied tablets to pupils in township schools to give them an opportunity to learn with ease.
By 2019, all schools should have internet connectivity, basic education minister Angie Motshekga announced last month.
She believes this will help keep children in school.
Makola said they had also made a call to pupils to boycott the milk being served to them in schools.
Limpopo education department spokesman Dr Naledzani Rasila said yesterday it was "wrong" for Cosas in the province to compare the milk being served to pupils with the tablet computers.
"The milk formed part of the specification on the feeding scheme tender and it's not like we just decided on serving it," said Rasila.
He said they did not have resources to provide tablets.
"Obviously we would love to move with technology and provide tablets to our schools. But we do not have resources for that. We are not replacing tablets with milk," he said.
frankm@sowetan.co.za
Give us tablets not milk
They don't want milk. They want tablet computers.
The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) in Limpopo has accused the provincial department of education of undermining pupils. The department recently revealed that it would be providing milk to pupils in schools as part of the school nutrition programme.
Cosas said yesterday that they felt the department was taking them for granted.
"As Cosas, we refuse to be provided with milk while our counterparts in Gauteng are being provided with (tablets)," said provincial secretary Abia Makola.
"We only heard through the media that the menu would change in schools and that milk would be served to pupils. We want the department to prioritise the education of our pupils by providing them with resources that would make learning easy," he said.
According to Makola, the milk that started being served to pupils in schools two weeks ago was not enough to cater for all the pupils.
"We want to make it clear that our pupils are not cats. We are emotionally paralysed to see pupils in Gauteng receiving tablets while we are being served with milk," Makola said.
He said they had also received calls that some of the pupils were falling ill as a result of the milk.
"We want e-learning and nothing else," Makola said.
He further said they felt embarrassed by selfies of Limpopo pupils being served milk while Gauteng pupils were carrying tablets.
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi supplied tablets to pupils in township schools to give them an opportunity to learn with ease.
By 2019, all schools should have internet connectivity, basic education minister Angie Motshekga announced last month.
She believes this will help keep children in school.
Makola said they had also made a call to pupils to boycott the milk being served to them in schools.
Limpopo education department spokesman Dr Naledzani Rasila said yesterday it was "wrong" for Cosas in the province to compare the milk being served to pupils with the tablet computers.
"The milk formed part of the specification on the feeding scheme tender and it's not like we just decided on serving it," said Rasila.
He said they did not have resources to provide tablets.
"Obviously we would love to move with technology and provide tablets to our schools. But we do not have resources for that. We are not replacing tablets with milk," he said.
frankm@sowetan.co.za
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