The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo wrote to Premier Stanley Mathabatha to request his urgent intervention to prevent the removal of an eleven-year-old girl with special needs from the Letaba Special School.
The young learner was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus, which is the abnormal build-up of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain.
It is alleged that the school said that they can no longer cater to her needs and requested her parents to collect her.
The school management further allegedly claimed that the learner is not their responsibility.
The Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) affords all persons with disabilities the right to education.
South Africa has ratified the CRPD without reservations and it is therefore bound by its provisions. Article 24 of the CRPD, in affording the right to education for persons with disabilities, emphasises the principles of non-discrimination and requires state parties to realise the right on the basis of equal opportunity.
In addition, the South African Constitution affords the right to basic education to everyone. The Schools Act makes compulsory education for children between the ages of 7 and 15 and requires that relevant government officials make special needs education available for all children with disabilities.
The DA challenges Premier Mathabatha to show us that he is serious about promoting and realising the rights of the vulnerable by ensuring that this learner receives medical treatment and that she is reinstated at Letaba Special School.
The DA believes that all children, including those with special needs, have a right to education and will continue to pressurise the government to afford this right to every child.