Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department has asked the high court to intervene in the wrangle between Oakford Primary in Verulam and Marius Maritz, the owner of the land on which the school is situated.
Maritz apparently locked out pupils and teachers on Monday because he wanted them to use another entrance,
Pupils and teachers missed another day of school on Tuesday as negotiations over which entrance they should use remained deadlocked.
Parents refused to allow their children to use the proposed entrance, saying it was too far for small children to walk and it was dangerous for them to cut through the sugar cane fields.
Parent Sindi Ntuli said the parent group would step in again if the matter was still unresolved by tomorrow.
KZN education spokesman Muzi Mahlambi said on Monday that the department was considering merging the school with a neighbouring school.
Oakford apparently has about 950 pupils. But, according to a department source, to close and merge a school meant the school had to have fewer than 200 pupils.
Maritz’s attorney, Abdul Karim, refused to comment, saying that the matter was before court and could not be discussed.
The Mercury