GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Western Cape Minister of Education Debbie Schäfer resigned from the post that she filled for the past eight years on Wednesday 20 April.

David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, will be replacing her on 15 May when she will officially vacate the post.

Schäfer has accepted a job offer in the legal sector in the UK. "I will be joining some of my family there which presents a unique opportunity for us to experience together," she said in a joint statement with Premier Alan Winde last week.

"I believe I have left the department in a better place than I found it, and am proud of the work that we have, together, achieved. I am, however, now ready to bow out of public life."

She said she will not be resigning from the DA.

Winde said Schäfer is known as a strong and tenacious leader, who has fought "hard each and every day to ensure a well-run, quality focused education system in the Western Cape.

"The Western Cape has the highest bachelor pass rate in the country, and has reached our highest retention rate ever."

Schäfer oversaw the establishment of the Schools Evaluation Authority, the first in the country, which provides an independent oversight function over the quality of education at schools.

"She has been dedicated to supporting poor schools, with 61% of schools in the Western Cape now being 'no fee' schools. This includes the additional assistance to quintile 4 and 5 schools to become 'no fee' schools," said Winde.

Under her watch, the Western Cape was the only province to take proactive steps to feed school children during the lockdown.

Under her leadership, the province has also invested significantly in E-learning. Winde said despite budget constraints, the department has continued to build many new schools and classrooms in response to the needs of a growing population.

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