Cape Town - Parents and unemployed teachers have broken into empty mobile classrooms in Dunoon and started their own school for children who have been unable to find a place elsewhere.
The school, which has been occupied by a group of activist residents who slept there overnight, started offering lessons for grade R, 1 and 3 learners on Tuesday.
The parents who broke into the classrooms, which were previously used by Sophakama primary school, say more than 300 children are being deprived of an education after two local primary schools turned them away because they were full.
The Western Cape Education Department has, however, refuted the claims and opposes the parents’ action.
“(My kids) will fall behind if they don’t go to school,” said Nokubonga Tukani, whose children, aged 7 and 12, have not been placed. “Nobody is using these mobile classrooms so why can’t it be turned into a third primary school?”
On Tuesday morning, the group said unemployed teachers from the area were teaching children in the three classes.
Jessica Shelver, spokesperson for Western Cape Education Minister Debbie Schafer, said district officials were due to visit the site today.
“The department does not support the intended action of parents. The fact of the matter is that the land on which the mobile classes were erected belongs to the City of Cape Town who made it available to the WCED on a short term,” said Shelver.
She said the Metropole North Education District Office based in Parow is not aware of an updated list of children waiting for school places.
“(The district office) has only received one list to date which was largely an outdated waiting list for Sophakama Primary, dating back to 2013,” she said.
The residents demand that the empty mobile classrooms, which were used by Sophakama Primary until the school moved to permanent structures several months ago, be put to use as a new primary school for their children to attend.
About 80 residents and children marched through the area and protested outside the site from early yesterday morning.
Later in the day the lock of the main gate was cut and the group made their way onto the site.
Resident Nompumelelo Mzilikazi said parents had been told by schools that there were no places for their children for next year. The group vowed to continue their occupation until their demands are met.
Departmental spokesman Paddy Attwell said a group of parents had informed the department that they planned to occupy the mobile classrooms on a field in Dunoon.
“The department leased the site temporarily from the City of Cape Town to accommodate pupils while completing a replacement school next door.”
Attwell said officials had checked a list provided by the group. “It was found that it was largely an outdated waiting list for Sophakama Primary, compiled in 2013. Spot checks of names found that they were already registered at the school.”
He said the district was aware of only six pupils looking for places in the area in the past two weeks. The group disputed this, and said they had provided the department with an updated list.
A meeting with parents has beenscheduled for July 22.
Last month, the Mitchells Plain Education Forum said 59 children in that area had not yet been placed in schools.
In January, hundreds of children in Mfuleni were attending school in a tent with parents claiming schools in the area were full.
Cape Argus