Cape Town – About 400 pupils in Joe Slovo near Milnerton are attending a school that is not yet registered with the provincial department of education.
The new school started operating when schools reopened and has not been named yet because it is not recognised by the department.
When the Cape Argus visited the school during interval on Wednesday, pupils played outside, oblivious to the controversy.
Some people in the community said they were not happy with the situation.
Community leader Shuga Nginaza said schools in the area had a problem of overcrowding every year.
“The high school that was in these premises last year has since moved and we decided to utilise this building for the primary school and everything is running normal,” he said.
Another resident, Siyabonga Matika, said the area had an unemployment problem and many parents could not afford school fees and transport required by other schools.
He said children would become mischievous if they did not attend school.
One of the school’s administrators, Nasiphi Getyengana, said the department knew there were about 400 children in need of education there.
“We don’t have a school principal just yet and the school does not have a name, but we have qualified and experienced teachers teaching the children,” she said.
Getyengana added they were getting help from other schools, which gave them stationery.
“We are appealing to the department (of education) to help us; every child has the right to education,” she said.
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer’s spokesperson Jessica Shelver said there were about 260 learners at the school.
She said the department did not own the land, the site was not a school and any education that took place at the site would not be recognised formally.
Parents must work with the district officials to ensure that their children are enrolled at nearby schools.