Parents’ second day of protest

WCED urged to make provision for 300 pupils turned away

AGROUP of dismayed parents staged a second day o protests outside the Bloekombos Primary School in Kraaifontein demanding the enrolment of more than 300 pupils who are on the waiting list.

Community leader Linda Phito said they were calling for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to accept the pupils who were turned away from local schools, and to provide more classes for the primary school that already has more 1 400 pupils from Grade 1 to Grade 7.

“The WCED must set up prefabricated classrooms in all primary schools in Wallacedene and Bloekombos to accommodate children who could not find places at local schools.We will continue with the protest until the education department responds to their demands,” Phito said.

Parent Mhlakaza Malehloholo said she had registered her three children at Bloekombos Primary School in December last year.

“When I brought the kids’ final reports and testimonials this month, the teachers told me that the kids had been accepted and I must just wait for their call. The teachers also gave me a list of the stationery.

“I bought the stationery and uniforms for the kids but now the teachers tell me the school is full,” Malehloholo said.

Another parent, Fundiswa Hlwana, said her two children who are schooling there were absent yesterday as protesters told them they would close the school.

Bloekombos Primary School principal Thula Batyi said there were 298 children on the school’s waiting list.

“We have no space. We can accommodate more pupils only if the department gives us prefabricated classrooms and nine teachers. Classrooms are already overcrowded. We are supposed to have 38 pupils in each classroom, but some classrooms have 46 to 57,” he said

Batyi said the demonstration started on Monday and continued yesterday morning outside the school gate, but classes were not disturbed.

WCED said the parents had failed to enrol their children in time, but officials would work with the parents to place these pupils in schools.

“We are looking at placing mobile classrooms at nearby schools to accommodate the unexpected growth,” said Jessica Shelver, spokesperson for Debbie Schäfer, MEC for Education.

Ward 101 councillor Luyanda Mbele said a community meeting would be held at a local hall. “We want to quickly handle this before it gets out of control so there will be a meeting at Ekuthuleni Primary School at 5pm.

“I was told children were warned today (yesterday) not to attend as the school would be closed by protesters. We are hoping to resolve the problem, children cannot afford to be disturbed.”