Maitland High pupils march over textbook shortage

JUNE exams for Maitland High School pupils have been postponed following a protest against a shortage of textbooks at the school.

“We can confirm that about 200 pupils from Maitland High School protested outside the offices of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). Senior officials discussed the issue with a delegation of learners, (and) as we speak (the officials) are visiting the school to discuss the issue,” said WCED spokesperson Paddy Attwell.

He could not state until when the exams were postponed, but said the pupils would be given enough time to study after the books were supplied by the publishers.

Matriculant and prefect Gcobisa Mncangceni and a fellow pupil, Xola Madzwili, explained that pupils from Grade 8 to matric organised the protest.

“Our principal told us he had called the department about our textbooks and the department has not been responding to him. The textbooks (shortage) are in all the grades, but the concerns are mostly from the matriculants, because we are starting to write examinations from June 4,” said Mncangceni.

Xola said: “They told us they are going to come and speak to our principal, but they did not pitch up. We then decided to come to the WCED to hear what they were going to say. Three officials came out to address us and told us that they will come to our school today, and we are waiting now for them to come out and go to our school with us.”

During the protest police arrived, and informed the pupils that their gathering was illegal and that they should disperse.

The pupils heeded the call. Most of them were escorted by the police to the train station. The others stayed behind, while two pupils were allowed into the department offices to convey their grievances.

Out of concern, Lobby group Equal Education Law Centre representative Solminic Joseph said he and a colleague accompanied the pupils and spoke to an official. A decision was taken that the department would visit the