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Fleurhof parents take Gauteng Education Department to Human Rights Commission
The fight for space at Florida High School continues as parents attempt to force the Gauteng Department of Education to accept their children.
According to the Gauteng Education Department, parents must apply to only one school and they will be automatically placed. Picture: iStock
Several parents of Fleurhof pupils who are still without a school weeks into the new school term have written a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
At least seven pupils have not been admitted to a school because the nearest school to them Florida High School is full. The parents had been offered a school which was out of their community but they declined the offer because of safety concerns and issues regarding the distance to the school.
HRC complaint
According to the complaint that the parents sent to the HRC, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is accused of violating the rights of the pupils to education.
ALSO READ: Fleurhof parents do not want their children in a ‘gangster school’
The complaint further states that the parents wanted their children to be admitted to Florida High School. The Citizen understands that there were at least 22 pupils but the number has dropped to seven,
“All our children must be accepted at Florida Park High School which is the only high school in our area and is within a 5km radius,” the parents said.
A spokesperson for the parents, Selby Leshaba, said the pupils were still attending Florida High School even though they were not registered there.
“The learners go there and are not being attended but we do not want them to be at home,” he said.
Parents do not want Die Burger High School
According to Leshaba the school that the GDE had wanted the learners to attend, Die Burger High School was dangerous and did not have a good academic record.
“We all know that police are always in and out of that school and there are gangers in that school,” he said.
ALSO READ: Fleurhof residents threaten protest as 12 pupils denied admission to Florida High School
Leshaba said the parents were willing to take the department to court to have their kids enrolled at Florida High School.
The GDE had accused the parents of being irresponsible for prolonging the situation.
In a response to The Citizen the Department said the pupils had been provided with a school but the parents “were being difficult”.
