Cape Town – Western Cape schools that intend closing before December 12 will face disciplinary measures, says the provincial education department.
This after several schools have sent letters to parents informing them that their children may remain at home, Netwerk24 reported. But the education department maintains that the offending schools are acting illegally.
Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the education department, says the only schools that are allowed to close before December are the 12 whose matric exam papers are being marked.
"The rest of the province's 1 500 schools, as well as schools in other provinces, are closing on December 12," said Hammond.
But many parents have posted on Facebook that they intend keeping their children at home because there is not much for them to do at school or they have already made holiday arrangements.
Hammond said, however, that the offending schools have to withdraw their letters, but added that "while we cannot force parents to send their kids to school, the law expects them to send their children to school".
The national Education Department has also emphasised that schools have to stay open until December 12.