Department pleads with parents to refrain from shutting down school

The Gauteng department of education has pleaded with parents and the school community at large to refrain from engaging in disruptive behaviour.

This came after parents of learners of Sediba sa Thuto primary school in the far east of Mamelodi shut down the school because of overcrowding and shortage of furniture at the school that put children’s lives in danger.

Gauteng department of education spokesperson, Steve Mabona said the department was aware of the situation at the school.

“We have also committed to delivering mobile classrooms to address any issues of overcrowding,” said Mabona.

He said concerns and issues that may be prevalent in the school were being investigated to be addressed accordingly.

The parents engaged in a protest on Tuesday morning, stopping learners and teachers from entering the school premises.

Vincent Makena, a parent at the school said the Gauteng department of education did not take the matter seriously.

He said community members and parents handed in a memorandum of concerns about the school on February 14 this year, and a response from the department was still awaited.

The memorandum was about the state of the school and the lack of proper buildings and the supply of additional mobile classrooms.

Makena said the department was given 14 days to respond but failed to do so or to say if the matter was receiving attention.

The mobile classrooms have deteriorated and were unsafe for children.

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Outgoing SGB chairperson, Violet Aphane said the problem of overcrowding, shortage of water and furniture and many other challenges started seven years ago.

“Dilapidated classrooms are falling apart almost every day and the toilets are not working properly because of shortage of water.
The learners help themselves in the old mobile classroom when nature calls,” said Aphane.

Local ward councillor, Annanias Mokgalosi said the rebuilding of the school was in the final stages of construction and had been given priority.

However, he said was not aware of the shutting down of the school because of overcrowding.

“When I was informed in the morning, I pleaded with the parents to start attending public meetings to raise such issues and not to be disruptive,” said Mokgalodi.

The school is overcrowded with more than 1 860 learners coming from different informal settlements in the far east of Mamelodi.

Makgadzi Sidogi, a parent at the school said the issue of the school needed to be prioritised, “because we are talking about the well being of children and teachers”.

“Overcrowding has forced the school to have more than 70 learners per class and social distancing is no longer practised at the school. Our children come back from school tired and dirty because they have to attend classes while sitting on the floor the whole day,” said Sidogi.

The parents vowed to shut down the school until the department of education came up with a solution to all the issues they raised.

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