Cape Town - Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer has expressed concern that a plan by the provincial Education Department to start lessons for a group of Dunoon children, who have been attending classes in an “invaded” school, will be delayed.
The vacant mobile classrooms in Dunoon were occupied early in July by parents and other residents who claimed that their children had been unable to find places in other schools in the area as they were full.
Classes taught by “volunteer teachers” started soon thereafter.
During two registration drives earlier this month, the department found that 119 of the children were of compulsory school-going age.
The department plans to enrol some of the children at the nearby Sophakama Primary, but most will attend classes at the mobile-school site, which would be under the management of Sophakama.
Furniture was delivered on Monday but Schäfer said she was worried that teaching would not start as soon as the department had planned.
“It came to my attention this morning (Monday) that certain individuals are allegedly unhappy with the Dunoon site being managed by the Sophakama Primary School Management Team, citing their opposition to the principal of Sophakama managing the new school as their reason.
“The community members that have allegedly been teaching the learners at the site have also insisted that the Western Cape Education Department employ them to teach at the new school,” Schäfer said.
She said Sophakama was “adjacent” to the site and urged parents to work with the department.
“We will not allow individuals to place undue demands on our officials who have years of experience in the management of such matters.”
Parents who spoke to the Cape Argus said they didn’t want the mobile school site to fall under the management of Sophakama because they had refused to help them when their children couldn’t find a school earlier this year.
On Monday, posters were placed on the fence of the mobile school site with the words: “Down with Sophakama principal”.
Resident, Lungile Mdayi said parents wanted the volunteer teachers to keep teaching their children.
Cape Argus