Activists call for closure of unregistered school operating from RDP house
|Published
Cape Town - A Cape Town school operating from an RDP house without registration has sparked controversy, with activists demanding its closure.
Champion Student Private School in Fukuze Street, Wallacedene, Kraaifontein, has six classrooms with more than 30 learners.
Each child is charged R200 to R250 per month for tuition.
ANC MPL, Benson Ngqentsu, said they found out about the school during an oversight visit in the area and informed the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
He described the condition of the schools as “horrible”.
“The small classrooms are overcrowded and have about 30 learners.
“When the learners move around they have to jump on tables.
“What about the ablution facilities, are they compliant with the law of this country?”
Ngqentsu said the school ought to be closed immediately.
“The Department is complicit in this, they have been aware about it but they did nothing. I’m unsure if they are waiting for an incident to occur before taking action.”
“The Department has to take full responsibility and it’s not only Kraaifontein, the inquiry has to be broadened to other areas. There were about three schools, from Grade 1 to Grade 9.
“And how do they get to Grade 10? They have to be shut down with immediate effect.”
He said they will call for an inquiry about the existence of such schools and the potential impact they may have on the education system.
Founder and principal, Trust Mafara, 38, said he started tutoring in 2020 and then opened an aftercare and a school.
“I came from Zimbabwe in 2019 and couldn’t get a job as a teacher. I then decided to do this. I am a qualified foundation phase teacher.
“I have tried to get the papers with a committee in Kraaifontein and then I also spoke to the Department but I never got anything positive from it.
“The children who are in this school are those who were unplaced and their parents brought them here instead of letting them sit at home, doing nothing.”
He said he is renting the house and he decided to run the school with his wife.
“We then extended, and had unemployed teachers to help us.
“We would like to be registered and move to a bigger space because here, the children have no space to play.”
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said they have recently been made aware of two schools that are currently not registered with the department in the Kraaifontein area.
“The relevant directorate has been notified and they have indicated that they will investigate. We do not have specific details at this stage on ages or numbers. This is to be investigated.
“According to the South Africa Schools Act any person may establish an independent school and must register such a school with the Provincial Education Department. If not registered, such institutions are deemed as illegal.”
Vanessa Le Roux, the founder of Parents for Equal Education South Africa (PEESA) said the education department must inform the police about unregistered schools.