Cape Town - The Western Cape Education Department says it has plans in place to deal with late enrolments and demand for places when the new school year starts on Wednesday.
But parents in Bonnievale say their children were promised admission to Bonnievale High School, but less than half were accepted.
Community leader Gertruida Swartz said the principal of the high school, Johan Els, had told parents that the 89 pupils who passed Grade 9 would be accepted into Grade 10.
“But now he says there aren’t places,” Swartz said. She said Bonnievale Primary School only went up to Grade 9 and parents didn’t want to send their children elsewhere.
“The law says a child must go to the nearest school to them, and we want Bonnievale for the children.”
On Sunday, parents had a meeting with Swartz in a bid to find a solution.
“Why must my child go to another school in another town when we have a school here?” said Marlene Prince, mother of a Grade 10 pupil. “The principal held a public meeting in Bonnievale and promised us places, but sent letters out after Christmas saying he won’t take our children.”
On Sunday, Els said they had not denied children a place, but they were on a waiting list that was with the Education Department.
He had advised parents to seek other schools.
Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said it was not always possible to predict in which areas there would be late enrolments and the extent thereof.
Cape Argus