Media Release
Minister of Education Donald Grant
Western Cape

2 May, 2013

Minister Grant: Learners education opportunities are again being blocked in Zwelitsha.

Statement by Minister Donald Grant, Minister of Education, Western Cape

I am outraged that certain people continue to block the education opportunities for learners in the Zwelitsha area.

Earlier this week, parents of learners enrolled at an "illegal school" were informed that they could begin enrolling their children at Ludwe Ngamlana Primary School after the WCED made available additional mobile classrooms to expand the school.

It is our intention to safely transfer the learners from the "informal, illegal school" so that they can be integrated in a registered and stable school environment.

This morning, however, some community members sought to disrupt this process further, preventing learners from enrolling at the school.

These individuals are now demanding that the learners from the "illegal school" be housed in the mobiles separate to Ludwe Ngamlana. They want a separate school management, with the same "educators" that were "teaching" at the illegal school.

The construction of the new mobiles was to expand Ludwe Ngamlana. There was never any plan to establish another school on the site. The WCEDs proposal clearly indicates that these learners will be integrated into Ludwe Ngamlana. This proposal was accepted.

We also do not employ educators in our schools without ensuring that they have the necessary qualifications and are employed through proper procedures and processes.

We have before us a solution - one that benefits the learners, who have now missed four months of school.

They now have the opportunity to be integrated into a functioning school environment which has the relevant facilities, furniture and equipment and textbooks. Catch-up classes will also be made available for the learners who attended the "illegal school."

Parents or community members can no longer use the excuse that there are no schools in the immediate vicinity that can accommodate their learners.

Enrolment at the school is now open. The education of the young learners can now continue.

It is therefore distressing that these young children are being denied this opportunity because of the selfish actions of some community members.

We do believe that there are parents that do want to enrol their children in Ludwe Ngamlana PS, but are being intimidated or prevented from doing so. I appeal to these parents to ignore these people and put the interests of their children first. If they do not accept this offer, they are essentially breaking the law and their children will not have the opportunity to progress to the next grade at the end of the year.

Since the beginning of the year, the WCED has gone out of its way to accommodate these learners. We have had special enrolment periods and registration hubs, we have communicated to parents the negative effects of their children being at the illegal school, and we have reported the illegal school to the police.

All our attempts to accommodate these learners in a registered school have been ignored.

Despite there being sufficient vacant places at existing schools in Khayelitsha we decided to place sufficient mobile classrooms at Ludwe Ngamlana so as to ensure that these learners can receive an education in line with the curriculum and with the necessary facilities and learning materials.

If one rejects this offer, then one is denying their child their basic right to education.

For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey:  072 724 1422 or bronagh.casey@westerncape.gov.za.

Media enquiries:
Bronagh Casey
Spokesperson for the Minister of Education, Donald Grant
Western Cape Education Department
Tel: 021 467 2377
Fax: 072 724 1422