Cape Flats parents disgruntled

2004-01-28 12:31

Cape Town - Disgruntled parents and their children gathered in front of the Western Cape provincial legislature on Wednesday to express their dissatisfaction with education MEC Andre Gaum and his "disregard for pupils on the Cape Flats".

The protest action was organised by labour federation Cosatu and the Norwood Central primary school in Elsies River, which also handed over a memorandum to education authorities calling for Gaum to be replaced and a "rescue plan" finalised for schools in the region.

Said parent Robert Philander: "We as parents are very upset at the conditions at our school. No classes have taken place since school started two weeks ago, and our children have to sit outside."

Philander said he, like many other parents, had to take a day off work to show the government they were serious about their children's education.

South African Democratic Teachers Union provincial secretary, Don Pasquallie, said Gaum had shown that he was only interested in "rich schools" and not schools in impoverished areas.

"Any additional day without education is a day too many. Any day longer that learners at Norwood have without tuition, is a day less the MEC will be in his office," he said.

Pasquallie said the problem was not confined to Elsies River, but prevailed in areas such as Philippi and Mfuleni, where pupils were also not accommodated.

Cosatu regional secretary Tony Ehrenreich said Gaum was "not the man for the job".

Ehrenreich said the problems at Norwood school had been highlighted to the minister about eight months ago, but nothing had been done to provide adequate class facilities. Conditions were further exacerbated by acts of vandalism during the December holidays.

The memorandum called on Western Cape education authorities to adopt short-term measures which would make the school operational by Monday, failing which protest action would be expanded.

Gaum was in the southern Cape and unavailable for comment. Attempts to get hold of his spokesperson Rudi Buys proved fruitless.

- SAPA