Outcry over planned closure of Seekoegat primary school

THE Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has expressed its dissatisfaction over the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) motives for closing Seekoegat Vgk Primary School in the Central Karoo region.

The committee has now called the department of basic education to outline its Rural Education Policy, saying the closure of the school attributed mainly to the dwindling number of pupils was not enough.

This is after ACDP MP Marie Sukers, who has supported the community against the closure, started a petition calling for the rural education policy to be developed and for increased oversight of the process.

Seekoegat is a deep rural community. The nearest roads to the isolated farms are 55km away and the nearest alternate school where pupils are expected to be placed is in Beaufort West, about 90km away.

Briefing the committee yesterday, Sukers said no effort has been made by the department to consult the older children as is required by the Children’s Act.

“These are young children ranging from Grade R to Grade 7, the oldest being 14. The closure of Seekoegat Primary School will isolate children from their families and their community.

“Children’s rights cannot be protected in isolation from family and community. Many families do not have the means to travel to Beaufort West.

“The removal of their children to a remote school will limit the parents or guardians’ ability to perform their duty of care to their children as set out in the Constitution and the Children’s Act,” said Sukers.

She was disappointment that consultation allegedly did not take place in a way in which parents could express their feelings due to language barriers and a lack of transport.

“The community believes the process was a tick-box exercise, lacking in transparency, performed under duress and that the closure had been decided before the process started.

“The WCED states that the community must rather take legal action to challenge the school closure.”

Sukers said the school infrastructure was good and it had other facilities, including a computer lab and catering facilities.

“Research into rural education and the impact of school closures is needed,” she said.

Community representative and teacher, Billy Coetzee, said: “I was surprised to learn about a school that has only 14 learners. However, it has not been threatened like ours or closed. And our school has more numbers.

“The WCED needs to consider that Seekoegat Primary School is a unique situation and must be looked at from a different perspective.”

EFF MP Dr Sophie Thembekwayo said she was concerned that parents who don’t have a source of income have to buy new school uniforms.

“I believe that there was a problem during consultations with parents. It is unfair to close the school and not enough visibility research was conducted.”

WCED acting Head of Department Archie Lewis said the school had an enrolment of 19 pupils and dwindling numbers from 2016 when it had 34 children.

“There were no prospects that the school would experience learner growth in the immediate future. It was not educationally sound for one educator to teach 19 learners over two bands/phases (foundation and intermediary) as well as over six classes or grades and on top of that being the principal.”

Lewis said another reason for the closure was that the school could not fulfil its financial obligations to its creditors, including food suppliers. The school was also in arrears with the payment of salaries of hostel staff.

MEC Debbie Schäfer’s spokesperson, Kerry Mauchline, said 32 schools have been closed since the beginning of 2017 of which two were in metro districts.

“Each of these cases was treated on its own unique merits,” she said.