Cape Town - A community hall in Philippi East, lightly populated with plastic chairs and slanted posters scrawled with the letters of the alphabet, may not look like much.
But for the past month it has been an informal classroom for around 80 Grade 1 and 2 pupils who missed the window to enrol in the area’s primary schools.
On Tuesday they sat in the hall singing songs while snacking on packets of chips, with their teacher, a parent volunteer, guiding them through a class on the days of the month.
“We try to teach them Xhosa, some maths… A bit of English, you know, whatever we might know,” said Andile Vara, smiling. “It’s not much, but it’s something.”
He is enthusiastic, with his son among the children in his ragtag class – where the children still wear their uniforms – he said he has to be.
But after weeks of trying to find places at the primary schools in Philippi East, parents have become increasingly frustrated.
On Tuesday they marched on the Western Cape Education Department’s offices in Mitchells Plain demanding to speak to staff at the large property. When they arrived, security guards rushed to slide the gate shut.
According to Albert Dlala, an ANC executive member who led the march, the department had not listened to any of their complaints.
“They tell us we must send our children to a school in Mitchells Plain 6km away,” he told the Cape Argus outside the gate to the department’s offices. “This is expensive, but not only that, who would send a 6-year-old away on his own and make them travel so far?”
Primary schools in the area, such as Vukani Primary, have been full since last year, he said.
“They need to make more spaces available, this not acceptable.”
The angry parents spoke to an official from the department.
Nomsa Tisky said she did not know what to do any more.
“Every morning I must send my child to the community hall.”
Nosiphi Mtitshana said she had no other choice but to send her child to one of the primary schools in Philippi East because she could not afford the transport costs of enrolling her son at a school in Mitchells Plain.
Grade 8 pupil Sinesipho Nonoti, 14, joined in on the march.
She said that since January she had had to sit at home while all her friends went to school.
“Even if they find me a school now, they will be writing exams when I arrive and I have learnt nothing.”
Western Cape Education Department spokeswoman Jessica Shelver confirmed that district officials had met community leaders on Tuesday to discuss the situation.
“Officials will establish the children’s names, ages and grades to assist with the placement of learners.”
She said they would require the co-operation of the community to replace these children as quickly as possible.
Following the meeting, parents were hopeful that they could finally enrol their children at school.
Cape Argus