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THE future of Cafda Primary School is hanging in the balance, with only 200 children holding the doors of the school open.

Leonard Hendricks, principal of Cafda Primary School, fears that if the number of pupils drops to 150, the Education Management and Development Centre (EMDC) of Metropole South will close the school down entirely and open a skills school in its place.

This plan, however, is contradictory to the original proposal that was agreed upon in a meeting on 10 October, 2007, between the staff of the school, the go?verning body, and the EMDC.

In the critical meeting about the future of the school, it was agreed in principle that Cafda Primary would stay open, and that the ample grounds of the school would be split to accommodate a skills school.

In People's Post ("Skills school for Cafda youth", 23 October, 2007) it was reported that the planning and construction of the skills school are envisaged to start in 2008, with the school set to open in 2009.

The aim of the school will be to bring skills such as brick laying, plumbing and electrical work to the youth of the area.

According to Hendricks, the school will present an ideal opportunity for youngsters who might not necessarily be academically strong, but who are "good with their hands", to obtain a matric and a marketable skill at the same time.

However, six months after the meeting, construction of the skills school has not yet started.

Hendricks says that he e-mailed the Education Department's EMDC Metropole South District in March this year to enquire about the progress of the school.

"I have been in contact with Berenice Daniels, the chief education specialist, regarding the progress of the school and I could not get a report," he says.

He says that an architect had also visited the school, upon which he insisted on progress from the director of the EMDC Metropole South District.

"I expect you as director of the EMDC to get this project moving," he told the director.

The director's last correspondence with Hendricks was on 5 March.

The director said that he would be returning to the office in the following week and that he would keep the Cafda Primary School principal informed of any developments.

Berenice Daniels says that the director has been on sick leave with a broken leg.

She says the decision on whether to amalgamate the school or not is still under discussion.

She added that an architect had visited the school "to look at the pros and cons of splitting the school grounds or not".

The EMDC will apparently meet with the architect next week to discuss the feasibility of the two ventures.

Aubrey Robinson, Independent Democrats proportional representative Ward Councillor, says that he has also tried to contact the director, without success.

Robinson has been canvassing for Cafda Primary School to be closed down, in favour of the skills school, along with a creche and a drug rehabilitation centre.

According to Robinson, there are no drug rehabi?litation centres in Hillview, Lavender Hill, Seawinds, Steenberg, St Montague Village, Greater Retreat, Grassy Park and Ottery.

He says the pupils from Cafda Primary could easily be absorbed by the four remaining schools in the area. Robinson demanded a response from the director in the matter.

"If his leg his broken, that does not mean his hands are broken," Robinson says.

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