Kids get first taste of school
From tears to excitement for new pupils
WALLACEDENE Primary school in Kraaifontein welcomed its new and returning pupils to the first day of school, with a mixture of tears and excitement from children and parents alike.
Principal Wendy Mbude dressed in a school uniform to help put her pupils more at ease and assured parents that their children were in good hands.
More than 1.1 million pupils started school in the province, with primary schools across the province welcoming 108 325 Grade 1s and 83 360 Grade 8 learners, according to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
Mbude said more than 1 500 pupils were registered for the year and was unable to accommodate more.
“There are more than 100 Grade R learners beginning today (yesterday) and more than 220 Grade 1s, and we are at capacity for the year.
“We do our best to accommodate the surrounding community and we urge parents to start the registering process as soon as February for the 2020 school year,” she said.
Mbude said their partnership with an NGO, Teach, Learn and Care Network, which provides extra classes for pupils, resulted in the school achieving more than 90% in maths for systemic tests for three consecutive years.
Tears flowed from a few young pupils, and some tried to make a break from their new Grade 1 classmates, like 6-year-old Siphathise Kotyi as his mother, Nosicelo Kotyi, tearfully had to let his teacher Asive Ngozana take over.
Kotyi said that her son was used to crèche, but that the sheer number of pupils at the assembly had overwhelmed him. However, she said she knew he would settle in soon.
Ngozana said she would be teaching more than 30 pupils this year, and each year there were some who took a little longer to adjust.
“I tell the parents to leave sooner rather than later. While it’s hard for them to leave a crying child, it makes it harder for the teacher the longer the parents stay.
“The sooner you get them familiar with their class, classmates and new surroundings, the better they feel,” she said.
Department MEC Debbie Schäfer and Western Cape MEC for Community Safety, Alan Winde, visited Forest Village Leadership Academy in Eersterivier, which welcomed 119 Grade R pupils and 168 Grade 1 pupils.
It is one of the Western Cape’s Collaboration Schools and has had substantial improvement in results.
The department has established Learner Placement Task Teams in each district and will be on standby to provide help at schools where there are late registrations and any other last-minute tasks that need to be completed.
For more information regarding enrolments, visit www.wcedonline. westerncape.gov.za