Cape Town - Parents have vented their anger at the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), protesting over the state of the Portland Primary School to citing safety concerns.
In a correspondence to the school community on Thursday, the school said the WCED would erect mobile classrooms on the field to accommodate learners from Grades 4 to 7.
This would be take place today and next week. A rotational timetable would also be implemented with foundation phase learners coming to school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and intermediate phase learners on Tuesday and Thursday.
Parent Ebrahiema Gamieldien, a former member of the school’s governing body, said issues related to the building seemed to have surfaced 12 years ago, with a dilapidated building and ablution blocks mentioned.
“It has been decided by the WCED that Block A will be cordoned off, not used and 13 temporary structures to be used. Our children will now stay home until these structures are available. WCED has no forward planning, no care in the world,” Gamieldien said.
Parent Kashiefa Petersen said: “The school communicated that the building is not safe for anyone, which includes parents, kids and teachers. The current need is for temporary classrooms to re-acclimate the kids back into the school to start learning for the third term as the school is currently closed due to the fact that it is uninhabitable for any living thing.”
Parent Lee-ann Maritz said parents were alerted to the dire situation during a meeting on Wednesday, which prompted a protest outside the school yesterday to demand answers and action from the WCED.
“The current structure is being held up with posts in order for the balcony not to collapse. There are no proper toilets for the girls to go to,” Maritz said.
“Temporary structures will be delivered by next week, but there’s no concrete date. In the meanwhile, the kids will be given homework packs.”
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the school is open, with teaching and learning continuing.
“After a visit by senior WCED officials, a block of 18 classrooms will be cordoned off to mitigate risk. This follows an assessment by a forensic engineer that four of these classrooms were deemed to be a risk.”
Hammond said a rotating timetable will be implemented for some grades while the mobile facilities are being procured and constructed.
“Learners whose parents are unable to have their children at home during the rotation period will be accommodated at the school and supervised.”