Education Department promises to place over 300 Dunoon students

Just over a month ago, a group of parents and some retired teachers occupied temporary classrooms and started their own school.

According to the parents, dozens of children from Grade R to Grade 7 have been using the mobile classrooms, which were used by Sophakama Primary School before it was moved to new premises on 6 July. The parents said their children had been on a waiting list for the two primary schools in the area since last year.

In July, the Dunoon parents enlisted the help of the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) after failed attempts to find space for their children in nearby schools.

Jessica Shelver, spokesperson for Western Cape Education Minister Debbie Schafer, said officials would be at the classrooms to register the children between 12noon and 8pm on Wednesday.

“District officials worked through the student list of 760 names given by EELC and found that 163 students were already attending a school. Of the remaining 597 students, 241 are not of compulsory school-going age. Our officials and EELC representatives agreed that the students who are already registered at schools should return to those schools,” she said.

Some children in the temporary classrooms are registered at schools outside Dunoon but parents want them to go to school in the area.

Shelver said once the list of about 300 students had been verified, the Department would help the school with teaching, furniture and textbooks by Monday, 17 August.

“Parents will have to bring their children with them to the registration, together with their birth certificate and previous school report, so that officials can place them in the correct Grades. WCED will then appoint teachers and arrange other resources, include furniture, textbooks and stationery, based on the relevant numbers,” she said.

Parents were outraged during a recent meeting when the local councillor informed them that the land where the mobile classrooms are situated had been earmarked for a sports field.

Equal Education Deputy general secretary Nthuthuzo Ndzomo said parents had asked for the temporary school to remain open until their children had found other places.

“We know that there is a great need in the community for a sports field, but education should come first. The parents have expressed that they want their children to stay in the area instead of a 30 minute drive to schools outside Dunoon,” he said.

Ndzomo said there was a need for more schools in Dunoon as most were already overcrowded.

“Education of these students needs to be a priority. We need more schools to be built here,” he said.