GDE says Kings Highway College is registered, but unaware of relocation

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has confirmed that Kings Highway College is registered.

However, the department was not informed that the school had vacated its registered premises on Monument Road.

As a result, the department has not done site visits to the school’s new location to verify whether it complies with the regulations required to operate as an educational institution.

This follows an article published by the Kempton Express on April 3, which revealed that two brothers, Joshua and Barnaba, who declined to provide their surname during an interview, managed the college.

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During a visit to the school on March 13, Joshua confirmed that while the school was registered, it was operating from an address not approved by the department.

“The school is registered, and we offer classes from grades one to 10 and tutoring for grades 11 and 12. I acknowledge that we have moved and are operating from the wrong address,” he said.

A letter from the GDE that the brothers provided indicated that the school was first located at the corner of Cypress Road and Willow Street in Kempton Park before relocating to Monument Road.

Joshua added that the Department of Health was scheduled to inspect the premises on March 13, followed by a visit from the fire department the next day.

“The school initially operated on Monument Road from 2013. We moved because running the school there had become expensive. We did not notify the department about the relocation, which was a mistake,” he admitted.

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The brothers claimed they visited the GDE head office the previous month to notify officials of the move. They also said they had taken over management of the school two years ago and only recently discovered that the new address was not compliant with department regulations.

Community member Portia Kgatla raised concerns about the school’s failure to meet health and safety standards.

“The school doesn’t have a health certificate. When we first visited the school, two directors and a principal were present, but the principal was absent during our visit on March 13.

“There were also fewer learners present compared to our previous visit. When we enquired, we were told the learners were given time off to study for exams,” said Kgatla.

On April 1, Barnaba contacted the Kempton Express to confirm that the school had returned to its registered address.

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“Please be informed that the Kings Highway College is moving back to its registered address and will no longer be operating at a different address,” he said.

GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department was unaware of the allegations against Kings Highway College until the Kempton Express contacted it.

“The Gauteng Department of Education was unaware of the allegations levelled against Kings Highway Academy.

“Consequently, we have launched the necessary investigations. If the allegations are confirmed, the school owner will be instructed to comply with post-registration monitoring requirements,” said Mabona.

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He explained that any school that relocates without informing the department is considered to have deregistered itself and is deemed to be operating illegally.

“Any school that relocates without following due process is instructed to comply as per Regulation 308, which governs the operation of independent schools in the Gauteng province.

“Failing this, the school owner will be served with a notice of intention to withdraw the school’s registration certificate,” Mabona added.