Rustenburg - The North West education department said on Wednesday it has re-opened Seoleseng Middle School in Taung.
“The school was reopened after consultation with parents,” spokesman Brian Setswambung said.
The school had 78 pupils and two teachers last year.
He said the department wanted to close the school in an attempt to align the school system in the province with the national system.
The North West has inherited a three-tier school system consisting of primary, middle and high school from the Bophuthatswana homeland.
“It is not correct that the school was closed without consultation. There was an agreement that learners will enrol at Reivilo High School,” he said.
Reivilo is about 60km from Taung. The school has hostels and pupils from Seoleseng would be accommodated there for free.
The Democratic Alliance alleged that parents and pupils found the school gates locked on the first day of teaching last week.
“Consultation on the closure of schools should not be a once-off event, but should be an ongoing process so as to involve parents and learners on every action related to the planned closure of the schools,” said the party's education spokesman Tutu Faleni.
“We appeal to the department to once more open consultation with parents on the closure of Seoleseng Middle School and find mutually acceptable solutions to the problems that beset the closure of the school.”
Setswambung said when schools re-opened last week, parents pleaded with the department not to close the school.
“To them the presence of the school symbolised the presence of government. It was agreed that the school will not be closed.”
He said parents undertook to ensure more pupils registered at Seoleseng, to enable the school to be allocated more teachers and other resources.
Sapa