Overcrowded schools and lack of infrastructure leave children in and around Nelson Mandela Bay’s Ward 29 exposed to gangsters, according to parent and Booysen Park community leader Simpiwe Waka.
Waka, who has four children at school in Ward 29, spoke outside the district department of education offices on Wednesday morning where parents and school governing body members were protesting over teaching conditions at schools in Booysen Park.
He said they wanted to enter the building but were met by closed gates and security personnel.
The schools in question are Booysen Park Primary, Cedarburg Primary, Sapphire Road Primary and Alfonso Arries Primary.
Addressing the district department office manager, Viwe Maduna, who listened to the plight of the parents, Waka said they were frustrated and could no longer sit back while their children suffered.
“We felt this is our democratic right to come and demonstrate the sad issue of overcrowding of learners and having to see our children roam up and down the streets, being exposed and falling victim [to] every criminal activity.
“If you had correctly strategised before the relocation had taken place in Ward 29, you would not be sitting with approximately 15,000 units of housing with only one school establishment in a temporary structure, which is Alfonso Arries. Where do you think all the other learners will be accommodated?” a frustrated Waka said.
He said the community was now faced with children not being absorbed by schools which had exceeded their set threshold.
“Learners – although they were on the waiting list since last year – were rejected because some schools believe if they deviate from the norms set by the government, they will get into trouble.
“[Conversely] some principals, out of the goodness of their hearts, absorb these children,” he said.
“But still these learners are at risk because they are not part of the programme set by the department in terms of nutrition and learning material.”
Richard Draai, of the Northern Areas Education Forum, said he fully understood the frustration of the parents.
“The problem has been highlighted for some time already,” he said.
“I don’t know how they do their planning but it looks like schools, clinics and hospitals are an afterthought. It’s also a problem that children have to walk long distances to get to school because there is not a school near them, nor is there scholar transport available.
“There’s a lot of thuggery going on, children being robbed, and this impacts on the families, which can be averted if the planning is done properly.
“[The area] is extending close to Despatch – those areas have mostly young families so primary schools will be of the essence for the area and high schools – but mostly primary schools,” Draai said.
District director Ernest Gorgonzola said officials met the parents and the department agreed to attend to issues.
“All concerns which are general in nature will be looked at and dealt with immediately.
“Otherwise, for bigger concerns they will be dealt with in the follow-up meeting,” Gorgonzola said.
Asked if there were plans to start the construction of a permanent structure at Alfonso Arries Primary, public works spokesperson Vuyokazi Mbanjwa said: “The project was included on the allocation letter to public works in December 2015.
“However, the department of education is better placed to indicate when the project will resume.”
Asked whether there were any plans to build another primary and high school, Mbanjwa said public works received the allocation of schools to be built from the department of education.