Parents demand better schools

With just a month to go before the end of the first term, a group of East London parents are still waiting for their children to be placed at their desired former Model C schools, refusing to send their children to the “township” schools suggested by the education department.

The parents claim they applied on time at various former Model C schools in East London, including Hudson Park, Stirling, Cambridge and West Bank. However, their applications were rejected with the schools citing that they were full.

Even though the department of education supplied them with a list of alternative schools that still have space, the parents are refusing to send their children to these schools, saying they do not want “township” schools.

Together with EFF members, the parents staged a picket outside the Rhubusana education district office in Mdantsane yesterday demanding their children be placed at the schools of their choice, no later than this coming Monday.

However, the spokesman for the department, Malibongwe Mtima, said there was no space at the schools that parents are demanding and urged them to work with the department to ensure their children are placed where there is space.

“I understand their frustration but we cannot do otherwise, if a school is full it is full. We encourage the parents to take up the space at the schools suggested to them to ensure the ultimate goal, which is to have their children in school,” he said.

Nosipho Mvolontshi from Amalinda, whose child was supposed to have started Grade R this year, says the department should not decide for them where to send their children.

“We want our children to be placed at the schools we applied to. It is our children’s right to study where they want,” said Mvolontshi.

Sandilsile Roro said his daughter was at Crewe Primary School but because there was no feeder high school for Crewe, he did not get space at any of the schools he applied at.

“As a parent it’s hard to explain to your child that you failed to find them a school. These children are depressed and I know for a fact that my child will not cope at a township school where isiXhosa is used as a medium of instruction,” said Roro.

The parents also demanded that a head-count be carried out at the schools that rejected their children on the basis that they had reached their enrolment number.

“We do not trust that these schools are full. The department has to go there and do a physical count. I am certain they will find there is space,” said Mvolontshi.

However, Mtima said it was impossible to do a head-count.