Parents of learners at Dulcie September Primary School have resolved that children will return to class on June 2.

Frustrated by months of disruption, parents gathered at an urgent meeting at the school on May 30 with the principal and school governing body (SGB) representatives to discuss school readiness and plans to help learners recover lost teaching time after being out of school for more than two months.

The meeting followed an announcement that the handover of repaired facilities by the Gauteng Department of Education MEC Lebogang Maile had once again been postponed, with no new date provided by the department.

Parents made it clear that their priority is the return to teaching and learning, rather than a political handover ceremony.

“We don’t care about a handover from the MEC,” said SGB chairperson Candice Howard during the meeting. “Our children have been at home for two months and no parent wants that.”

Read more: Dulcie September named among Gauteng’s school emergencies by MEC Maile

“What I’m requesting of parents, as we sit here, we are thinking, ‘Okay, its done, the kids must come back on Monday [June 1]’, but we must also remember now, there are classes where teachers need to move back into. They need to prepare.

So, I’m requesting, instead of Monday, when it’s going to be chaotic, let us give the school an opportunity to arrange all of those things, the furniture, etc, on Monday. The parents will then know on Tuesday [June 2], this is where my kids are going.”

The meeting also highlighted the growing role played by parents in maintaining the school during the closure period. Despite lack of attendance from teachers and SGB members, parents arrived carrying brooms, cleaning materials, and gardening equipment.

A volunteer clean-up campaign was immediately launched, with residents cleaning classrooms, clearing school grounds, and cutting grass.

The initiative follows tensions surrounding the school’s general assistants, who were allegedly chased away by some parents who felt maintenance standards were inadequate. Parents have since volunteered their own time to ensure the school remains functional.

While acknowledging the importance of the volunteers’ efforts, school management emphasised that maintenance activities must still comply with school regulations and departmental policies.

Community activist Kelvin Bantham, who has been vocal throughout the crisis, said parents remain disappointed by an incomplete response from the department.

“As a parent, I’m not happy, because [the department] didn’t deliver. At the end of the day, they fixed seven classrooms, and then there’s still other classrooms that are still perishing.”

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Howard explained that of the nine classrooms initially declared unsafe, seven have been repaired and handed back to the school. However, two classrooms were deemed beyond repair.

She added that all learner toilets were assessed, but only one girls’ toilet could be salvaged, with the remaining facilities considered irreparable and requiring replacement.

“When is the department going to take us seriously?” asked Bantham. “Why didn’t the MEC come to the parents and say, ‘Parents, as the MEC, we, as the department, we do not have funds? We had to look outside for help. So, we found a private owner that would assist you and help you guys’. Now he’s ranting on social media. Why? The donor came to us, and the representative is the parent who is a community member.”

Several parents echoed his sentiments, stating that they do not regard the repairs as a formal handover because no new infrastructure was provided and many of the school’s challenges remain unresolved.

Principal Kekana urges parents to support catch-up plan

Beyond the infrastructure issues discussed, parents took the opportunity to address critical matters impacting the school environment. Many parents acknowledged that learner misconduct significantly contributed to damage of school property, and they emphatically called for increased parental involvement in discipline.

They urged principal Delias Khomotso Kekana to impose stricter oversight, citing that teachers sometimes operate without sufficient accountability. Additionally, the rise in incidents of gangsterism and bullying among students was a major concern.

Kekana confirmed that a comprehensive academic recovery plan is being developed in collaboration with the district.

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“I am surprised that our parents are educated and aware of the annual teaching plan (ATP). We don’t operate arbitrarily here. However, the challenges posed by Covid-19, have highlighted many dynamics, reminding us that life can take unexpected turns – but that does not signal the end of our efforts.

“We have been actively engaging with the district. The execution of our plans hinges on a calendar, and the starting date must come from parents. The sooner we receive this date, the sooner we can line up essential activities for the children. These activities aim at ensuring that our learners accumulate the necessary scores and marks for term two.”

The principal also highlighted that it will be crucial for parents to understand that, while they can teach the entire ATP, external circumstances – like during Covid – can limit what they assess.

“By the end of the year, assessments will occur, and it is our responsibility, as educators, to find effective ways to gradually align with the ATP. Our children must have access to the full curriculum, just like those who did not face interruptions.

Also read: Dulcie September learners miss further weeks of schooling

“The catch-up plan will be transparent and communicated to parents as soon as our learners return. It’s important to recognise that the responsibility of catching up does not solely fall on the learners.

Teachers also have their own workload to manage and will need to catch up as well. This is a multi-faceted challenge requiring the co-operation of everyone involved.”

As they prepare for the catch-up plan, Kekana said the school and learners need parents’ support now more than ever. “In this situation, some of you may feel a heightened sense of duty. Remember, these children missed two months of school, and it is now your responsibility to help bridge that gap as much as possible.”

Moreover, the principal said the first things to do when learners return on June 2, are to, first, issue term one reports, and second, issue actual transfer reports to those parents who opted to transfer their children to different schools during the school closure.

On a personal note, Kekana admitted that he has felt the strain of this shutdown.

“Internally and externally, I am not the same person I was before. Nevertheless, I am grateful that the motivation that led me to seek the role of principal still drives me. This is not solely due to my own efforts, but also because of the support I receive from you, the parents. Your role is invaluable.

“Finally, I must ask you to protect me from political interference. Address school matters directly with me, and keep political parties at bay, especially during this crucial time.”

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