Speaker, the public education system is at a crossroads. It is failing the poorest of the poor who rely on public education. The upper and middle class can escape public schools and send their children to private schools. The Minister of Basic Education has admitted that 80% of the public schools in the country are dysfunctional.
Cope, therefore, calls on Minister Motshekga to take a firm stance in favour of quality education for all children and against the bullying tactics of the ANC-aligned SA Democratic Teachers' Union, Sadtu. The Sadtu proposal for a 100% increase in the threshold for participation in the Education Labour Relations Council is clearly aimed at emasculating all other teacher unions. If implemented, it will turn this council into just another arena where the feuding alliance partners will fight it out. This will have devastating consequences for our democracy.
Minister, we call on you to deal with the matter with the urgency it deserves, as it begins to undermine the Constitution of our country. I thank you.