Rustenburg - All 216 learners from Tirelong Secondary School in Kroondal, who were allegedly kidnapped, have returned to school, the North West Department of Education said on Tuesday.
“Tirelong learners have returned to school. Last week the district held a meeting with parents who were signing commitment letters. At the meeting parents declared that no one should remove their children from boarding school without their permission,” said spokesperson Elias Malindi.
“Some of the learners decided to go to Marikana Secondary School. All learners are back at school,” he said.
The Tirelong learners were forcefully removed at Naauwpoort and Boons Mega Schools in January, allegedly by a group masquerading as parents. The North West Education Department said in simple terms, “the learners were abducted”.
The group forcefully removed162 learners at Boons and 54 at Naauwpoort.
They allegedly overpowered security officers at the gate and transported the 54 learners at Naauwpoort back to Kroondal in minibus taxis.
At Boons, security denied the group entry after they refused to produce their identity documents to indicate whether they were genuine parents of the learners or not.
The group broke a small gate and blew whistles, allegedly as a signal to the learners who were inside the hostels. The boys then broke the hostel doors, windows and burglar bars to force their way out. They also threatened others to leave the school premises.
The Tirelong Secondary School was vandalised during the school holidays. Window and door frames, electricity cables, water taps, kitchen utensils and the roof were removed, making it impossible to welcome learners and have a productive first day of the academic year on January 12.
Following vandalism at Tirelong, learners were moved to the Naauwpoort, Boons and Moedwil Mega farm schools.
The decision to move children from Kroondal to other schools was met with resistance from some parents and children.
They wanted the department to provide mobile classrooms instead of placing children at other schools.
At a meeting on January 25, parents of learners from Tirelong agreed that their children should be allowed to go back to school without any disturbance.
IOL