School for Rosedale by 2025

GEORGE NEWS - Plans are in the pipeline to build a primary school for the Rosedale neighbourhood in Pacaltsdorp from 2025 to 2027, and a second high school for Pacaltsdorp at the same time.

This is according to Paddy Attwell, director of communication at the Western Cape Education Department.

He responded to a query regarding parents' concern about their children having to travel to school by bus.

The nearest primary school, Dellville Park Primary, is located on the opposite side of the busy four-lane main street, Beach Road, and it is dangerous for children to cross.

Clara Afrika, a resident who campaigns for the betterment of her community, said Rosedale is big enough to warrant its own primary school.

Since more than 900 families moved into this low-cost housing development some years ago, the community has grown further because of a substantial informal housing area that has sprung up in its midst.

Afrika said parents feel uncomfortable that their children have to travel by bus to Pacaltsdorp or New Dawn Park Primary.

Apparently, there have been incidents of bullying by older learners.

But the status quo is to remain until the department's plans for a new school get off the ground in 2025.

Attwell confirmed that the schools nearest to Rosedale - Dellville Park and Pacaltsdorp Primary - are full, but said New Dawn Park still has place for about 400 learners.

"Our district office is working on a new bus route to carry 28 learners to New Dawn Park who could not obtain places at Dellville Park.

"These learners live in Rosedale and Syferfontein."

Some learners from outside Pacaltsdorp have also been accommodated at New Dawn Park.

They have registered for the English stream, but according to Attwell, their numbers have not had a significant impact on enrolment at the school.

Classes in these schools are big with the average number of learners per class being as follows:

Delville Park Primary - 39,5;
New Dawn Park Primary - 38,9; and
Pacaltsdorp Primary - 38,4.

At the high school, Pacaltsdorp High, classes average 42,6 learners per class. This school building is to be replaced with a new school during the period 2019 to 2021, because "we currently classify the school as a 'plankieskool', built from inappropriate materials," said Attwell.

Schools currently being built
The department is currently building a new high school in Thembalethu, due for completion in 2019, and it plans to build a new primary school in Thembalethu during 2021 to 2023.

Plans for clinic renovations this year
Afrika also asked for a mobile clinic to be instituted in Rosedale because some elderly persons in Rosedale cannot afford a bus ticket to the Pacaltsdorp Clinic. In response, Nadia Ferreira, communications officer for Western Cape Health, said Rosedale is located within a 5km radius of the clinic.

"A mobile service will unfortunately not be instituted as this distance falls within the norm.

"We acknowledge that transport might be a problem for some of our patients and have introduced off-sites where patients are able to collect their medication. There is currently an off-site in Rosedale on a Monday.