Pupils in march for functional school

MOUNTED frustration over the Western Cape Education Department’s failure to build a proper high school in Philippi led to pupils protesting in the city centre at the weekend, the school’s principal said yesterday.

Mandisa Cenga, principal of Philippi Secondary School, said the setting up of 15 containers at Hinds Park Primary School in 2007 was supposed to be a temporary solution for the high school pupils. The department had undertaken to have a proper high school constructed in 2010, she said.

Five years later, she was still waiting to hear of any developments.

“What the pupils say is true. The containers are icy cold in winter and literally become an oven in summer. I was told that we would only use the containers for three years, but pupils are still stuck in there. As a result, our resources are limited and there is limited room for development,” said Cenga.

There were 683 Grade 10 to 12 pupils schooled in the 15 containers.

Cenga mentioned that one Grade 11 classroom had 56 pupils and the school had no library or science lab. About 350 pupils peacefully protested outside the department’s head office on Friday, demanding a brick school be built for them.

Police used stun grenades to disperse the pupils when they refused to leave. It was reported that some pupils were injured during the chaos.

Provincial Education Ministry head Bronagh Casey said building a school was in the infrastructure plan of the province, but there were some challenges to obtain land.

“We had considered it before Friday as it is in our infrastructure plan, and we have budgeted for a new school. We are trying to obtain a piece of land and are in talks with the City of Cape Town and Department of Public Works regarding options – although these seem limited,” said Casey.

Cenga hoped the process would yield positive results.

SACP members visited the school on Friday and condemned the fact that pupils were still taught in containers.

Meanwhile, Basic Education Deputy Minister Enver Surty handed over Kasselsvlei Primary School in Bellville. It was part of the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Development Initiative – an R8.2 billion project aimed at replacing 510 schools constructed with inappropriate material.