North Coast parents have united in protest against crumbling school infrastructure and inadequate facilities for their children.

Tinley Manor Primary School in Etete is the latest to be closed by protesting parents, who claim the provincial education department is not addressing their concerns. A similar protest closed Thembeni Primary School two weeks ago, while widespread concerns were raised about pupils being forced to learn in the open at Dr Ricardo Mthembu High School in Groutville last month.
Together, the protesting parents have carried a simple message: ‘We have had enough’.

“It’s unsettling for parents to let their children miss out on learning, but we must fight for a better education,” said Tinley Manor Primary School governing board chairperson, Anita Ngwenya.
“The Department of Education is not coming to address us, even when we peacefully protest.”

More than 100 parents protested outside the school on Monday, a week after they told teachers and pupils to vacate the premises. They said a memorandum was submitted to the education department and claim budget has been allocated for some school upgrades, but that no response has been forthcoming.

Parents are demanding more teachers and more prefabricated classrooms, as more than 60 pupils are currently squeezed into each class. The recent introduction of Grades 8 and 9, intended to ease the burden on pupils who previously had to travel far for high school, has only worsened the situation.

Xoliswa Sifanele (57), whose grandchildren are doing Grades 4 and 5, said it is difficult for pupils to learn under the current conditions.

“Overcrowding makes learning nearly impossible, and our children are the ones paying the price,” she said.

The school has 11 prefabricated classrooms, many of which are in severe disrepair. These prefabs are used by Grades 4, 5, 8 and 9.

“A snake can even slip in from under during classes because the prefab floor has holes in it,” said Ngwenya.

Although the school remains closed, there is some visible activity, with damaged prefabricated classrooms being dismantled. However, parents say they have not been updated on the progress or what’s happening with the replacements.

Beyond the school’s immediate challenges, parents are calling for the construction of a high school in Etete. Currently, pupils must travel to surrounding areas, facing transport costs and the threat of bullying.

“The bullying got so bad in previous years that we had to organise community policing forum members to guard the pupils at the school,” said Ward 7 councillor, Cebo Fakazi.

Fakazi said the fight for a high school in Etete has been ongoing for over 20 years, but progress stalled after the department rejected the proposed construction site.

The Courier has previously highlighted a dire need for more public high schools across KwaDukuza. Some primary schools, like Sizani Combined School in Foxhill, RA Padayachee Primary in Shaka’s Head and Umlali Preparatory in Umhlali, do not have any direct feeder high schools. As the area continues to grow in population, increasing calls are being made for long-term education infrastructure planning.

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