GEORGE NEWS - The Western Cape Department of Education has clarified the concerns of the community with regards to the nearly completed new high school in Thembalethu.

Mzwabantu Ngesi, chairperson of a forum mandated by the community to approach the department regarding the opening of the new school in 2019, said they have tried countless times to engage the department to discuss admission of learners and appointment of staff.

"All our efforts to meet the department in preparation for the opening of the school were in vain and the forum finds itself trapped between the department and the community," said Ngesi.

It was said in two community meetings that the new school should rather remain a ghost building if the department doesn't address the matters of admission of learners and appointment of the staff through public advertising, he said. "We are uncertain about the future of Thembalethu learners who need the school so badly. In our view, the department's actions might promote anger among community members and this might lead to public violence, which is something we do not wish for. Our experience as far as protests are concerned in our area is that they end up being violent. This happens almost every month in Thembalethu."

Education department replies
To clarify some of these concerns, the Department of Education said the new school will open in January 2019 with 280 Grade 8 and 280 Grade 9 learners. Most of the Grade 9 learners (currently in Grade 8) will come from the two local high schools, Thembalethu High and Imizamo Yethu Secondary.

Millicent Merton from the department's communications section said parents will be given a choice to enrol their Grade 8 and 9 children at any of the three high schools in Thembalethu. The new school's curriculum will be extended annually until Grade 12 in 2022.

"The WCED met with the principals of all the schools in Thembalethu to get their input with regard to the registration of learners. The decision regarding the registration process will be finalised at the next meeting and parents will be given an opportunity to make their choice. The Grade 9 learners (currently in Grade 8) coming from Thembalethu High and Imizamo Yethu Secondary will be transferred in bulk to the new school - no need for the parents to register again," said Merton.

"Once we have identified the learners (before the end of this term) we will then meet with the parents to get representatives from them to serve on an interim SGB. The interim SGB will deal with staff issues."

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