Angry parents disrupted the start of the school day at Manenberg Primary yesterday, protesting over unconfirmed reports that the school might be shut.
Parents protested at Duinefontein Road, holding placards, over a pamphlet which was handed out to their children on Monday.
One of the parents, Joyce Albrecht, said the news was upsetting as the pamphlet claimed the Western Cape Education Department intended to close the school.
“This came after Saambou Primary School’s parents protested against their school’s closure. My two young children are here and all our children feel safe and at home here,” said Albrecht.
She said previous reports were of Saambou School pupils joining Manenberg Primary, as the other site would be used to build a new School of Skills.
The large crowd of parents and community members disrupted activities before class commenced, with the school governing body stepping in.
Member Phillip Morgan said as concerned parents they had mixed feelings about the disruptions.
“We could not allow the children to miss a day of schooling and had to intervene.
‘‘It is very upsetting that it took such an act to finally bring out an official, after we continuously tried to communicate with them in the past,” said Morgan.
Education departmentofficial John Lyners arrived and after meeting the principal and governing body addressed the parents.
He said the pamphlet was not an official notice from the department.
As yet only proposals regarding upgrades and replacements of so-called “plankie” schools were being considered.
By law, no proposal could be implemented without the community’s approval.
But the crowd was in uproar when he could not say whether the closure would occur.
Parent Veronica Galant said incidents at other schools never occurred at Manenberg Primary.
“I want to plead to the officials to leave our school here. They should not take away something which we as a community have pride in,” she said.