A DESERVED VICTORY FOR UITSIG PUPILS

LEARNERS and parents of Uitsig Secondary School scored a victory in the Western Cape High Court yesterday by securing an interdict to re-open their school.

This week, as more than 1 million learners returned to class, the pupils of Uitsig High arrived to locked gates manned by security guards.

They have fought a long, arduous battle. Citing ongoing vandalism and theft that left the building gutted, Education MEC Debbie Schäfer had the school shut down. It would cost her department too much in maintenance and repairs to keep Uitsig open, according to her.

The school’s impoverished community faced having to send their children to high schools in neighbouring Ravensmead, effectively uprooting them from their social circles, not to mention the extra travel cost incurred that the parents can ill-afford. It’s easy to sympathise with the parents who, even last year, took it upon themselves to paint the school, fix the broken windows, repair the plumbing and replace caved-in and damaged ceilings.

The community took responsibility for their school, but Schäfer and her department refused to budge, saying Uitsig’s closure was in the best interests of the children.

This week, the learners and their parents showed the department exactly what they thought of that sentiment.

They forced their way on to the school grounds and camped outside their classrooms. The tenacity of community activist Tony Ehrenreich, education activist Lionel Adriaan, school governing body chairperson Sharon Koeberg, and many others, through months of fighting finally scored a victory by getting the court to rule in their favour and open the school to academic activity once more.

Be warned, however; the battle may be won, but the war continues.

The Supreme Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on the matter so the department could yet come out on top, ensuring the school is ultimately shut down, leaving the community of Uitsig High out in the cold. This would be a real shame.

Vasbyt!