Overcrowding sees parents divided over temporary school for learners east of Pretoria
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Kutumela Molefi Primary School pupils will temporarily occupy another school while the construction of new classes carries on. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi/African News Agency (ANA)
Pretoria - Overcrowding at Kutumela Molefi Primary School in the east of Pretoria has divided parents and caused one group to block the gate and turn pupils home from last Wednesday.
This comes after one group of parents refused a school-suggested alternative for pupils in the overcrowded Grade 7 classes to temporarily occupy available classrooms in Boschkop Primary School – that is 22km away.
However, it is not the distance that upset the parents, but claims that their children previously used Boschkop Primary School as a temporary school, but they were treated badly and made to feel like outsiders.
The school would arrange for pupils to be transported from Lethabong and Skierlik Mountain View information settlement, where the pupils come from, but one group of parents said that was not an option.
They said the education department should have known overcrowding would arise again, and worse than it was in 2020, before announcing that learning should resume at 100% capacity because the communities the school caters for grew in the last two years.
The Department of Education is constructing four classrooms to address the issue of overcrowding, and work is expected to be done in March.
Parent Busisiwe Mahlangu said this was frustrating because she did not know if her son would have to spend more days at home this week as parents could wake today and flock the gates.
"Education is very important, and each day our children do not learn cannot be replaced. It is unfortunate that some parents think that is the best solution or measure to express their frustrations," she said.
Zinhle Mabena and Phumla Maduma said they did not understand why some parents were being so difficult because pupils would come back having learnt something every day instead of sitting at home doing nothing.
"A school is also a safe facility for children, so that they do not end up roaming the streets and find themselves exposed to the wrong things. Parents must really consider. This cannot keep happening," said Maduma.
A parent who only wanted to be identified as TT, said those against the blocking of the gate were oversimplifying the problem and refusing to stand against injustice.
“That school is also far, and on top of that our children do not really want to go there. The issue of overcrowding is not new here and we are tired. Our children feel at home here and at the other school they were treated badly. Why would you put your child through such treatment? No,” said TT, who said it would only be seen on Monday if parents would block the gate again.
Acting spokesperson for the Department of Education Oupa Bodipe acknowledged questions on the issues and promised to give comment as soon as adequate consultation had been made.
Pretoria News