Western Cape Education Department finalises school closures

The announcement made by education minister, Donald Grant, comes after 27 schools around the Western Cape faced possible closure. After months of protests, Grant has agreed that seven of the 27 schools will remain open. These are Athwood Primary, Bosplaas NGK Primary, Nuhoop NGK Primary, Peak View Secondary School, Rodewal UCC Primary, Wittedrif Primary and Zonnebloem Nest Senior Secondary School. Peak View and Zonnebloem were at the centre of the protests.

Grant’s plan says the Department will place learners at schools scheduled to close at alternative schools, provide transport and new uniforms.

The ANC has condemned the closures. A statement by Marius Fransman, the party’s Western Cape Leader says, Grant’s decision, “flies in the face of public sentiment to keep the schools open and he must face the consequences in court and in the public arena.”

However Equal Education’s Kate Wilkinson said the organisation welcomed the decision. A statement released by the organisation says, “EE is pleased by MEC Grant’s decision to keep Zonnebloem NEST Senior School and Peak View Secondary School open. One of the reasons for Zonnebloem’s possible closure was the poor state of the school’s infrastructure. It is promising that the MEC has indicated that he will engage with the private owner of the land on which the school is located regarding renovating the school.”

“I would like to stress that parents of learners at schools that will close do not have to worry about enrolment for the 2013 school year. The WCED will inform their school of the plans we have in place to accommodate their child or children,” said Grant.