Bumpy start for new Wilsonia school
An 11th-hour decision by the provincial department of education to pay rental arrears has ensured a newly established East London school will not close.
Barely five months into its existence, the Buffalo City Inner-City School was almost closed by the landlord on Wednesday. He claimed the department, which opened the school at the start of the year, has not paid rent for three months.
The school, which is situated in Wilsonia, was established to address the yearly challenge of unplaced pupils in the metro.
According to a letter sent to parents by school administrator Peter Mey, the school has already been beset with problems, including non-payment of teachers.
The school currently has about 300 pupils enrolled from grades 1 to 10.
On Tuesday, pupils were sent home with letters advising parents to make “alternative emergency” arrangements for their children from Thursday onwards as the landlord would be closing the school on Wednesday afternoon.
The letter, signed by Mey, states: “The landlord is at the end of his tether because the department of education is not paying the monthly rent as agreed in the contract. They are also not paying our monthly municipal fees which includes water, lights and sewerage.”
Mey further states staff are struggling financially. “They have not been paid for the year. Even though this is very bad for teacher morale, our teachers continue to give their best.”
When the Dispatch visited the school on Wednesday, teaching and learning seemed to be proceeding as normal.
Representatives from the school, the department and the landlord were said to be in a meeting. While parked outside the school, the Dispatch reporter was approached by the landlord, who said the matter had been resolved. He did not want to give his name.
“The school is no longer closing. We were in a meeting with some senior people from the department and they have promised to pay by next week Wednesday,” he said.
Both the landlord and the department refused to disclose the amount of money owed.
Department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said there had been “teething problems” as the school was established within only three weeks.
Mtima said the payment of the outstanding rent was being attended to by the district's supply chain management unit and would be processed soon.
The municipal bills would be attended to by the school governing body, as the school is a quintile 5 school (a fee-paying school).
As for the unpaid teachers, Mtima said the salaries for the 14 teachers were processed this week.