LIMPOPO – Learners at Mara Primary School west of Louis Trichardt returned to class after the Department of Education appointed an Afrikaans teacher, who started work on October 19.

Parents and School Governing Body (SGB) members closed the school last week, demanding that the department appoint an Afrikaans teacher, as the school primarily uses Afrikaans as its language of instruction.

SGB deputy chairperson Mpho Brown said the parents were relieved that the department had responded to their concerns after the school was closed for a week, preventing learners and teachers from entering the premises.

Parents take a stand

Brown said the school had previously operated without an Afrikaans teacher, a situation that had left parents unhappy. She said the parents and SGB members decided to close the school to demonstrate to the government the urgent need for a qualified teacher to teach their children.

“If you want the government to hear your grievances, you must take action. If you do not act, the government will not hear you,” she said.

Brown added that learners at Mara Primary School deserved the same educational opportunities as children at other schools, where sufficient teachers were available to support their learning.

“When we send our children to school, we send them there to learn, not to play.

“At the end of the day, we expect to see the results of their education,” she said.

Relief as learners return

One of the parents, Vanessa Buys, said they were happy that the department had addressed their concerns by appointing an Afrikaans teacher to teach their children in their home language. She said the parents were pleased that the department had acted quickly, especially since only about a month remained before the end of the academic year.

Buys added that the parents were ready to support the newly appointed Afrikaans teacher to ensure that their children received the education they deserved.