Only 10% of schools offer organised sport, a “catastrophic” drawback for the future of sport in the country.
This was the warning from Dr Willie Basson, secretary of the Eminent Persons Group that monitors transformation in sport.
Basson told Parliament yesterday that, should this figure not increase to at least 25% of the 25 000 primary and secondary schools in the country, it would undermine transformation objectives.
According to Basson, this was a major obstacle for transformation objectives.
“We face a catastrophic turning point,” he said.
Basson was addressing the portfolio committee on sports and recreation, and laid the blame at the door of the departments of sport and basic education.
According to Basson, 84 % of youth under the age of 18 were black.
“We can not develop 84% [of the country’s pupils] with only 10% of all schools. This is a strategic weakness that needs attention.”
Traditionally, he said, teachers were the driving force behind school sport.
“[Teachers] say they are not paid for coaching sport, and all the changes in the syllabus have increased their workload. The departments of sport and of basic education will have to do something.”
Basson said that most sports federations still did not fully understand the charter of transformation in sport.