South Africa: Parents Block Enrolment At New Primary School in Kraaifontein

They want learners transferred from the old Solomon Mahlangu primary school which is in a terrible condition

Parents from Solomon Mahlangu Primary School are demanding their children be moved to Blue Ridge Primary School in Wallacedene, Kraaifontein.

On Wednesday and Thursday, they blocked teachers, learners and parents from entering Blue Ridge, a new school that opened for the first time on Wednesday. The schools are located opposite each other in Thakudi Street.

Solomon Mahlangu was empty on Thursday as parents say they will keep their children at home until the department resolves the issue.

Community leader Mawethu Sila said the environment at Solomon Mahlangu is “not conducive” for learning and teaching. The school does not have a computer or science lab, nor a playground.

He said they want learners who have been studying in poor conditions in mobile classrooms to be moved to the new school.

“Our plan was that Solomon Mahlangu Primary School learners will move gradually into the school after the department finishes each classroom in 2023.”

They also want new learners entering the system to go to the old school first and the old school learners to transfer to the new school.

Community leader Simphiwe Nonkeyizana said, “A school is a community centre. Why is the department not allowing the community to decide?”

Solomon Mahlangu school committee member Ntando Damba said, “Grade 7 classrooms are overcrowded because they accommodate learners from Grade 6.”

“Our taps sometimes don’t produce water, so we ask kids to bring water from their homes,” said Damba.

He said the school has to store food for learners in a leaking shipping container that has a rat problem causing food to be thrown away.

He said there are only ten toilets for 1,300 learners.

The school was established in 2017 to accommodate surplus learners from the adjacent Enkululekweni Primary School. It has had to connect a hosepipe and electric cables to Enkululekweni to get water and electricity.

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Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Department of Education, said the demonstration had “disrupted” tuition and learning.

“The new school has already been established and has accepted some Grade 1 learners. These learners include learners from the community,” she said.

Hammond said the department would meet Solomon Mahlangu management “to address any concern that may need to be raised.”

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