First day of school off to a rocky start at Estcourt Primary
“We do not have any classrooms to house your children, as the Department of Education has failed to deliver two promised classrooms”
Wednesday, January 11 marked the first day of the academic year, hundreds of thousands of learners made their way to school and for grade R’s and grade one’s the day was extra special as they would begin their first day of big school.
As parents took time off from work to see their children off to school or even accompany them into their new classes to meet the educators and classmates.
Sadly this was not the case for some parents who enrolled their children at Estcourt Primary School.
Neatly dressed in their new school uniforms and eager to start school, these learners have been turned away.
A group of angry parents were addressed behind a closed gate by Estcourt Primary School’s governing body chairperson, Haden Smith.
“We do not have any classrooms to house your children, as the Department of Education has failed to deliver two promised classrooms,” explained Mr Smith.
Last year in mid-August, the school had an unfortunate case where two grade two classrooms were set a blaze during a break-in.
While a case of arson was being investigated, the affected classes resumed in the school’s newly built hall.
The school discovered that the quality of learning dropped during that period.
With the promise of receiving two classrooms from the department, the school held its registration as usual later that month.
By the end of the last school term, the classrooms had not been delivered to the school.
The School Governing Body (SGB) made a decision to offer refunds to the parents who have enrolled their children.
On the last day of school, a group of parents went to the Department of Education office in Wembezi to address the matter.
One parent in the crowd questioned why Circuit Inspector, Rodney Smith asked them to bring their children to school if there aren’t any classrooms for them.
Parents further questioned why Mr Smith was not there to give them an update on the classrooms.
Later Wednesday morning, the children were heard asking their parents why they could not go to school like the other children.
On Thursday morning parents returned to the school insisting that their children attend the school as they have registered for them to be there.
The parents said in unison: “We do not want a refund we want place for our children.”
SGB chairperson, Hayden Smith then announced that the library and computer laboratory will have to be converted into classrooms to house the grade R’s and grade ones.
