No place in classrooms for pupils

Angry parents said that the Northern Cape Department of

Education was neglecting the basic rights of their children

PARENTS of pupils at Venus Primary School in Homevale, Kimberley were left fuming yesterday after they saw their children had to wait under trees and in front of classrooms to receive teaching due to classrooms being overcrowded.

Large groups of pupils from different grades were seen sitting at school desks under trees while they waited to rotate with their peers who were receiving teaching inside the classrooms.

Other pupils were seated at desks placed next to the door of a classroom, while yet other pupils made themselves comfortable on the ground in front of their register classes.

Angry parents said that the Northern Cape Department of Education was neglecting the basic rights of their children.

“This is totally unacceptable. We have to wake our children up early for them to make it to school only for them to come and sit under the trees while their friends are in class. The classes are also filled to the brim with the children inside. How come the department did not advise the schools to make use of the rotational register like last year instead of making our children wait for hours to receive learning?”

They slammed the department for being “idle” in addressing issues of overcrowding at schools.

“We are living in a pandemic, yet we expose our vulnerable children to overcrowded spaces. The department is not taking the health and safety of our children seriously.

“How can you have about 40 learners inside a classroom while more than 30 learners from the same class are waiting outside to receive learning?

“The department has been aware of the high number of learners inside a class for many years, even before Covid-19, but they have never addressed the overcrowding problems at some schools permanently.

“Our children’s academic progress is being neglected as the teachers cannot give attention to such a big class. It is also unfair that teachers are forced to attend to so many children.

“We tell our children about the dangers of Covid-19 and the department even places the blame on parents when there is a positive case at the school, yet they do not practise what they preach.

“The department needs to take the education of our children seriously by providing adequate resources and staff.”

Department spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe said the problem is due to the fact that six classrooms at the school were demolished towards the end of last year.

“The demolition of the six classrooms at Venus Primary formed part of our replacement of inappropriate school structures programme, which is aimed at eradicating asbestos school buildings and classrooms,” said Van der Merwe.

He added that the school will be provided with mobile classrooms.

“The school forms part of the beneficiaries of mobile classrooms, which the department procured in December and we are currently awaiting the delivery for Venus Primary School. This school requires five mobile classrooms, which will be delivered in the next two weeks.”

Van der Merwe added that the pupils were placed on a rotational timetable.

“The Grade 4 and Grade 5 classes were affected and we have, as an interim arrangement, placed this school on the three-day rotational timetable to ensure that all learners are accommodated in a classroom on the day they are expected to attend school.

“This is not ideal in terms of our curriculum coverage for the school academic year, hence we regret this situation and it will be resolved to ensure that we establish a conducive environment for teaching and learning.”