BASIC Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube defended the controversial McDonald’s branded foldable desks launched in schools last week.
St Paul's Primary school innie Bo-Kaap was recently handed over the McDonald’s branded foldable desks, which caused a frenzy.
The desks’ branding has sparked widespread outrage and debate, with critics accusing the department and McDonald’s of using laaities as walking billboards.
COPE said in a statement: “South Africa's children are not billboards for junk food corporations.”
“At a time when our nation grapples with an obesity epidemic and rising non-communicable diseases, disproportionately affecting working-class and rural black communities, this partnership exposes children to predatory marketing of high-fat, sugar, and salty foods."
Some political parties have also argued that the desks are too heavy for small children to manage to and from school every day, and that they further stigmatise poor learners.
However, Gwarube said the department’s partnership with corporations should not be avoided.
Addressing the members of the National Assembly this week, she said: “The 13.5 million learners and the 24 000 schools and the kind of budget that we have in the system, cannot simply meet the demands.
“Therefore, we have to partner with private partners.”
She, however, added: “Where I agree with the honourable member and the criticism of how some corporate partners advertise with products at schools, is that we must have a policy that says how do we manage the kind of branding and advertisements that happen in schools in a way that doesn’t harm the learners, but assist us with the gap.”