According to newspaper reports, following a tragic accident that claimed the lives of 10 school children, all under the age of 13 in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, the Provincial Education MEC Senzo Mchunu, announced on Sunday that all school trips in KZN have been suspended for the rest of the year. The report went on to say that this includes sports trips.
It’s not yet certain what effect this decision will have on school rugby associated 7’s teams from KZN that are set to travel to provincial and schools tournaments in other parts of the country later this year.
@Gungets Tuft: The “avoid a loss” theory not backed up by the results against College in U16 in term 1
16A College lost by 20 runs
16B College lost by 53 runs
16C College won by 3 wickets
16D College won by 65 runs
16E College lost by 2 wickets
Only other explanation is that the Matrics are not going to play – academics very important at Westville – so they are pushing them up a level. Hellovu unfair to the opposition who have to make alternative arrangements for their U16’s
@Griffon: Can’t for the life of me see what can be gained from that – for the boys that is. You basically sacrifice them for a year (apart from possibly one or two exceptional talents) and perhaps strengthen the lowest open teams. You lose a fair number of open boys who might have otherwise played because no school is going to field 10 open sides. Disgraceful for those lowe team open boys who basically don’t play for their school again.
Just thinking aloud – could it be that their U16 was really weak and they are trying to avoid some losses .. while possobly gaining some at open level. Extraordinarily mercenary if that is the case. If I was the parent of a middle level U16 boy, or lower open boy my angry would certainly be up.
It seems Westville are just doing their own thing again. It seems they think they can just do what they wish without any repercussions. How can they just scrap a whole age group? Surely it needs consensus amongst ALL the schools to do this….
@ Gungets : The Westville sport department have opted to put all their u16’s from this year into the open age group, same for their basketball teams. I dont know how effective this plan will be. :shock:
@star: Not sure I understand – you mean Westville do not have an U16 cricket age category?
What happened to all the U15’s from last year?
@ Gungets- Westville are currently not playing an U16 grouping and so I wonder what will happen when Westville play College.
Good. Looks like College and DHS are not affected by the Certificate of Roadworthy status of the KZN minibus fleet.
http://www.maritzburgcollege.org.za/component/content/article/10/270-fixtures
@beet: Several members of the KZN government have been trying to corner the bus transport sector for ages now. a year ago they tried to ban a certain company and lost in the Supreme Court. Anyone want to bet that there will be a very few “authorised” bus services you are allowed to use … with all the “extra income” possibilities that arise from that. Remant Alton will spring to the fore …
@beet: Thanks. I see some frustrations coming.
@All Black: “extraordinary reporting skills”
“All schools wanting to go on any trip should apply to the head of department and the application will be reviewed under strict conditions,” said Mchunu.
Unfortunately the worst thing possible seems to have happened: the DA has criticised Mchunu which is bound to result in some kind of prolonged stubborn political standoff. Really all the MEC needs to say is he got carried away with concern and coupled with the emotion of having to face the parents in Bergville, he overreacted in his wanting to show these parents that he is treating this matter very seriously. Steps will be taken to rid the system of negligence on the part of headmasters and teachers.
Apparently the schools are having to take this crazy situation very seriously. What do the bus services do for income now? Is this constitutional? There is a Michaelmas Week coming up soon. How does this affect the visiting teams? BEET, help us here with your extraordinary reporting skills. Surely there is a compromise?
@All Black: Ja. Somebody should point out to ou Senzo that some schools don’t rely on 1972 model mini-busses to get around.
Do College and DHS play on Sat? What does this ban mean? This Senzo fellow is obviously an idiot.
Sheeesh – let’s hope that a kid does not have a asthma attack, they will ban breathing. Dolts.
Perhaps it is all part of ********** plan for job creation – admin clerks for every school. Perhaps they can moonlight delivering text books.
Beet – you need a delete function esor boet, I am going to regert pressing Submit – should never drink and post.
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Ok so what about all the inter school cricket matches coming up – you guys are right & touch wood here taxis are the issue and so far locally hired interschool buses so far are OK and are not being driven by taxi drivers
But the 7’s team is Michaelhouse and they are a private school.
@GreenBlooded: firstly it was a taxi, and we know how they drive, then the barriers, put it place had been vandalized and stolen by metal thieves so there was no protection for the Taxi when it hit the Armco barrier.
So the thieves need to be held , when caught , ( possible never) for Murder and future thieves should then get attempted murder charges laid for the,
But just shows you the type of intellectual running the Education department, can you now imagine that every school trip has to be reduced to writing and sent through to his department for approval, but he rather says , let them walk, where do they get these guys from
Saying this is an over-reaction would be putting it mildly. This is a traffic issue – not an education issue.
They say that specific cases will be considered on merit.