Fed-up parents shut down primary school in Mamelodi
“We are tired of empty promises made by the department of education”
Fed-up parents shut down Zakhele primary school in Mamelodi East, turning away learners and everyone who wanted to enter the school premises on Tuesday morning.
“We are tired of empty promises made by the department of education.”
The parents were demanding that the education department provide the school with mobile classes as soon as possible because the school was no longer safe for their children.
This came after part of a ceiling recently collapsed on top of three learners and an assistant teacher.
Brenda Mkhwebane a parent and former learner at the school said the school was “very old” and was built in 1956 and today, the infrastructure was old and broken.
“Our children are no longer safe at the school, the department of education must provide the school with mobile classrooms,” said Mkhwebane.
Another parent, Edit Magagula said just three weeks ago, learners nearly lost their lives when part of a ceiling fell on top of them and an assistant teacher.
Following the incident, parents signed a petition to get the department to repair the old school.
At the moment, 10 classrooms are not used because of ceiling boards that are collapsing.
Magagukla said the school was forced to convert the library, science lab and computer lab to classrooms for grades 4 to 7 learners.
“We are also worried about social distancing at the school should all grades attend school full-time,” she said.
Magagula said this was not the first time they complained about the state of the school.
“This is the fourth similar incident in recent years. The school’s infrastructure is already crumbling. The school has never been renovated or upgraded since it opened its doors in 1957,” said Magagula.
The parents said the protest was just a peaceful demonstration.
Khanyisile Mdluli said the parents’ demands were very simple.
“Our children’s safety comes first and it is the responsibility of the department to provide that,” said Mdluli.
“Three weeks ago, we came running to the school worried sick about the safety of our children, following the incident of the ceiling,” said Mdluli.
“Panyaza Lesufi (Gauteng education MEC) once visited the school years ago, and he promised to build a new school for us.”
She said that they had been complaining to the department to consider rebuilding the school for years now.
Parents vowed to turn learners away should the department fail to provide the school with mobile classrooms by July when the school reopened.
“We will turn away learners and there will be no lessons until the school is safe for pupils and educators,” they said.
Other issues the parents’ complained about were toilets, vandalism, theft and cracked walls.
Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona said they were aware of the current situation at Zakhele primary school.
“The GDE wishes to assure parents that the procurement of mobile classrooms is at an advance stage and delivery is expected during the course of the school holiday,” said Mabona.
“We implore parents to refrain from disrupting schooling and find alternative ways of addressing their grievances. The country is currently faced with the Covid-19 pandemic and such protests are likely to exacerbate the spread of the virus,” he said.
The school is currently on the estimate of capital expenditure as a R49,6-million new and replacement school project being implemented by the Gauteng department of infrastructure development.
Mabona said that the project consisted of the demolishing of the existing old and dilapidated structures and the replacement thereof with new brick and mortar structures.
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