Rocky school start for some as classes are overcrowded
|Published
Teachers at Sakumlandela Primary School in Site B, Khayelitsha, busy placing pupils according to their grades. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town – The first day back at school got off to a rocky start for Usasazo High School learners in Khayelitsha, who were greeted with locked gates and hardly a teacher in sight.
A number of learners and some parents who had hoped to register their children were turned away at the school by Site B residents, joined by the ANC Youth League Branch Task Team, who demanded the school make space for learners.
Frustrated parent Nobuntu Ngumla was turned away with her son, who was supposed to be registered for Grade 8.
According to Branch Task Team member Sivenathi Ngqaneka, the high school is supposed to accommodate children from three wards, however, a lot of children were being rejected.
“There are five primary schools surrounding it. Off 700 children, it accepts about 250. According to the SGB (school governing board) the school was rejecting children because there is a teacher shortage,” said Ngqaneka.
The protesters have threatened to march to the education offices if their demands are not met soon.
At Lehlohonolo Primary School in Gugulethu, SGB chairperson Mamosi Sekonyela took the Cape Times into two classes where they are struggling to enforce social distancing and children are forced to use their laps as a desk when taking notes.
Parents were protesting for additional prefab classrooms.
“The Grade 4 children don’t have a classroom so they have been mixed with another class and there are nearly 70. Everything is a mess in this school and it needs urgent attention,” said Sekonyela.
Education spokesperson Kerry Mauchline said the district was engaging with the school to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
About Usasazo High School, Mauchline said the school received over 750 applications for the around 200 spaces.
“The school cannot meet the demands of the parents to place more learners when they are oversubscribed. The parents refuse for children to be placed at other schools, where there is availability. We will continue to engage with the community on the matter.”
Along the West Coast, Graafwater parents said they would continue to protest against the closure of Graafwater High School, despite education MEC Debbie Schäfer forging ahead with plans for the opening of the new Graafwater Special School yesterday.
Schäfer had approached the High Court for an interdict at the weekend to prevent anyone from unlawfully protesting at the school or entering the school grounds, naming activist Franklin
Adams as the “instigator”.
An agreement was reached with several respondents, including Adams, without admission of liability.
“Last year I announced the closure of Graafwater High School, to be repurposed as a school of skills, which is much needed in the Graafwater and surrounding areas.
’’For months now, a group of people led by a Mr Franklin Adams has been expressing their disagreement with the decision, and for the past few weeks their disagreement has escalated to harassment of staff preparing for the opening of the new Graafwater Special School (as it is now known) to open for learners on Monday. Some parents are also refusing to accept the new school arrangement,” Schäfer said in a statement.
Adams said Schäfer went ahead with plans without proper public participation.
“The community was never properly consulted. We are not opposed to another school in the area, but what is the justification for closing a school that's 102 years old with good results?
’’There is a hostel that accommodates children from all neighbouring farms. The closure of the school is going to have a devastating social impact on our community.
’’We have always been peaceful and we tried to meet with the MEC but she has never showed up,” said Adams.
Adams said they had approached the municipality for permission to lawfully protest.
Meanwhile, the council for quality assurance, Umalusi, yesterday approved the release of the 2020 matric results.
However the council expressed its disappointment over the leakage of maths paper 2 and physical sciences paper 2 question papers.
Umalusi's Professor John Volmik said they may nullify the certificates of candidates found guilty of leaking the two papers, even after receiving their results.
The council has requested the Basic Education Department to tighten security at all levels to ensure that there are no leakages of question papers in future.
Cape Times