Lesufi closes Roodepoort school

Tempers flare outside the gate of the Roodepoort Primary School where a dispute between the Education Department and members of the local community prevented many children from attending class. Photo: Chris Collingridge

Tempers flare outside the gate of the Roodepoort Primary School where a dispute between the Education Department and members of the local community prevented many children from attending class. Photo: Chris Collingridge

Published Apr 18, 2015

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Johannesburg - Gauteng’s Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said on Friday he was forced to close Roodepoort Primary School indefinitely because of continuous disruption of schooling in the area.

On Friday, a group of parents and community members forcefully seized control of the school building, locking the doors and expelling all official school personnel.

The school, which is located in Davidsonville in the West Rand, was shut down after parents and the provincial department could not agree on the future of its principal.

The department is currently applying for a court interdict from the South Gauteng High Court, which would prevent community members from continuing acts of violent disruption.

For the time being, parents are being asked to seek placement of their children at nearby schools.

Parents have made allegations of fraudulent appointment of teachers and mismanagement of funds.

The MEC investigated several matters related to the appointment of three SA Democratic Teachers’ Union teachers, with the community saying due process was not followed. The principal and chairperson of the school governing body were also accused of maladministration.

There had been disruptions at the school since February, when parents accused the principal and her deputies of racism and corruption. After an investigation, all three were cleared of any wrongdoing by the MEC earlier this week.

Lesufi said on Friday he was forced to take a “difficult and painful” decision to close the school. “I don’t normally surrender to anarchy, I don’t normally surrender to lawlessness, and I don’t surrender to those that are hell-bent on disrupting education. I have taken the decision to close the school purely because I was influenced by the safety of our young ones and our teachers.”

He said he had “bent over backwards” for the community in trying to resolve the issues that the school faced.

”I abided by their request to appoint an independent forensic company to determine whether the principal and deputy principal were appointed correctly. I obliged and appointed a legal firm to investigate the appointment, in which they found that they were appointed correctly.’

“I’ve done everything humanly possible to ensure that there is sanity and that the problems of that school are resolved using dignified mechanisms,” Lesufi said.

Saturday Star

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