Overcrowding and a lack of adequate resources remains a persistent challenge for schools in South Africa.
Last year, the basic education department reviewed overcrowding in schools nationally and approached the National Treasury for additional funding for more classrooms.
The issue of overcrowding at schools in the Gauteng Province has intensified and frustrated parents expressed disappointment in the department’s failure to find workable permanent solutions to address the matter.
Parents at Dulcie September Primary School in Rabie Ridge, Midrand, halted all teaching last week due to overcrowding at the school.
They claim that the school is overcrowded with about eighty learners in each classroom and as a result learners have been placed on rotational learning. One parent said the following:
We have been pleading for classrooms for many years now and nothing happened up until today.
Many parents complain that they haven’t received any communication from the department and whenever they call in for updates no new information is available.
Gauteng Education Department spokesperson officials have denied claims that the department is not addressing the overcrowding at the primary school as they are currently working to resolve the issue.
“At Dulcie we understand that those parents were addressed that those schools are still rotating because of the numbers and overcrowding. We will assess and make sure that the new mobiles [classrooms] that are coming will be able to accommodate them,” said department spokesperson, Steve Mabona.
Scores of parents have been turned away as they queued to get space for their children at various schools in the province.
The department says in order to integrate learners, they decided to give schools a 10 day head count to see which schools still have spaces available then after place children who are still on the waiting list.
