Hundreds of pupils stayed at home on Wednesday as a result of the national protest action against labour broking and toll roads, forcing 23 schools to close.
Education MEC Donald Grant’s spokeswoman Bronagh Casey said the problem was particularly evident at schools in the city centre.
“We received reports of absenteeism at some of our ‘commuter schools’ … due to transport arrangements being affected,” she said, adding that the majority of schools continued to function as normal.
On Tuesday, Congress of SA Students president Bongani Mani called for pupils, students and teachers to participate in the one-day protest action.
At the time, Grant hit back by saying it was “irresponsible for organisations to call for teachers and pupils to partake in the protest action, and it showed callous disregard for the future of young people”.
When the Cape Times visited Gardens Commercial High School on Wednesday, principal Pieter Janse van Rensburg said that of their 560 pupils, only 60 had attended.
“We sent a circular to parents on Tuesday, informing them that the day would go ahead as any other normal school day,” he said.
“We have had to postpone tests to Friday and we are losing out on teaching hours, but I can also understand that some parents are afraid of letting their children travel to school using public transport.”
Only one of their 21 teachers had opted to participate in the protest, he said.
“With so few children, classes could not take place. Those here spent the day completing assignments.”
The deputy principal of St Paul’s Primary School, Carolyn Cannon, said half their teaching staff joined the march but returned to school shortly afterwards. She said 633 of their 800 pupils attended.
“This attendance is not usual. I would say parents felt uneasy about allowing their children to travel by bus, taxi or train.” At some schools in the northern and southern suburbs, principals said only a handful of pupils were absent. - Cape Times