Cape Town - Clergymen have volunteered to be crusaders for pupils who have not yet been placed in schools for the next year.
The Mitchells Plain Rebuild Church Ministers Forum, led by Bishop Mark Bloemstein, said it called a meeting to discuss the widespread problem and to call for support so it could approach the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
“Over the past few years, it has come to the attention of the clergy that children who are residents of Mitchells Plain are being denied the right to attend schools within walking distance of where they live.
“In many cases, children are forced to travel to schools outside Mitchells Plain. This places a greater economic burden on parents, who are already struggling financially. What is more alarming is that masses of children travelling from outside Mitchells Plain are being enrolled at schools in this community.”
Bloemstein said after investigating the troubling matter, they were given unacceptable reasons at the Metro South district and by local school administrations.
“They said the local parents had not enrolled their children within the allotted time frame, and on the website provided by the WCED; their grades were too low; and they were not living close enough to the school they applied to, or did not play sport.
“Civil society stakeholders, such as the church, have been helping parents to meet the enrolment requirement. Despite the efforts of parents to comply, we are discovering that this injustice against local children is worsening.
“As the clergy in Mitchells Plain, we have requested an urgent meeting with the WCED to address this matter. Our demand is that if this is an administrative mistake, we want the WCED to correct it by the end of September, with placement at the first school requested by the parent.
“If this is part of a political plot (which we trust it is not) to disadvantage our children, further steps will need to be taken to correct matters. Mitchells Plain is severely challenged with crime and its related ills,” he said.
Councillor Ashley Potts said he had been inundated with requests from parents to approach the department.
“I advised the religious leaders to send a formal letter to the department so they can have proof that they have made contact with them. The meeting was held and it was fruitful and there is a direction, which is speaking to the department.”
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said they were in the process of placing learners across the province who have not yet confirmed placement at schools.
“Schools had until August 31 to confirm final placement lists. The WCED is now working through these lists to determine if there are any available places. It must be noted, however, that schools also need to keep places available for learners who may be held back a year. Schools will only know this once the final end-of-year results are calculated and confirmed.
“This often leads to more spaces becoming available as learners progress to the next grade. The WCED is committed to ensuring that learners currently on our system are placed before the start of the next school year.”