Overcrowding a problem as school year starts

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - In the week before schools reopened for 2023, the ANC's leader of the opposition in the Western Cape, Cameron Dugmore, showed great concern about the lack of classrooms at Murray High School – so much so that he escalated the matter to provincial level.

Dugmore met with the Murray High School governing board at the weekend before schools reopened and said afterwards that not enough classrooms would be ready for the start of the school year on Wednesday 18 January.

One of the main contributing factors to overcrowding in Plettenberg Bay, according to a statement by the Bitou Municipality, is that Bitou has a population growth rate double that of the national average.

Dugmore said Murray High School is a clear indication of neglect by the DA provincial government of our schools. "There has been no adequate response to the overcrowding at the school which has been a reality since about three years ago.

"Over 2 000 learners are expected on Wednesday and the department had promised 17 classrooms and an admin block to deal with the situation," he said.

He said his visit to the school showed there were only five additional classrooms, not built where they were supposed to be built.

"I'm going to contact the MEC immediately. It's clear that unless an initiative with clear time frames is developed by Wednesday, we won't have a good start to the school year. We cannot have our children subjected to this kind of overcrowding - and if this was in a former Model C school, run by the WCED, this would never be the case. It's a neglect of black schools in the Western Cape and is a clear sign of unequal education in the Western Cape," said Dugmore.

Municipality has a solution

The Bitou Municipality said in a statement released last week that the overcrowding issue was highlighted at the beginning of 2022, with the school facing a challenge to accommodate the more than 1 750 learners who had been enrolled.

"To accommodate the enrolled learners, a schedule was devised whereby different groups of learners attended school on alternate days. Over and above the numbers mentioned, the parents of an additional 56 learners were urgently seeking placement for their children," the statement reads.

"The mayor's office became involved by attending meetings with all role players, including the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), during which the situation was carefully assessed, several options considered, discussed, planned and coordinated."

They identified two main factors that had contributed to the situation: firstly, the population growth rate in Bitou is double that of the national average and secondly, enrolment of learners exceeded cut-off dates set by the WCED, which hampered the planning for the 2022 academic year.

"Following deliberations with all role players the planning commenced for construction of six classrooms along with an additional ablution facility," reads the municipality's statement.

"The six classrooms were completed and handed over during July 2022. Towards the end of 2022 another five additional classrooms were put in place and will be operational when the school year commences. This means the 2023 school year will kick off with 11 additional classrooms, an additional ablution block and the placement of additional teachers by WCED.

"The new junior high school to be built opposite Murray High School will add another 12 classrooms, which together with the last five classrooms that will be ready for this year's intake, adds up to 17 additional classrooms."

Perspective

Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier confirmed that he had a discussion with Dugmore on the matter.

The allegations that 17 mobile classrooms have not been delivered to Murray High School "are simply not true," said Maynier. "The fact is that five additional mobile classrooms were promised and delivered well ahead of schedule before school opening at Murray High School. This is over and above the four existing mobile classrooms already installed earlier last year."

He said the WCED aims to build a new school, opposite Murray High School, as part of the Rapid School Build programme, as soon as land becomes available to deal with admission pressure in Bitou. These are separate projects, which is probably what is causing the confusion," said Maynier.

"Ultimately, we have delivered on our promise to provide five mobiles to Murray High School and are committed to continue with the building of a new school in the area once the land becomes available."

Cameron Dugmore (right), the leader of the ANC opposition in the Western Cape Government visited Murray High School with Lulama Mvimbi (left) Western Cape MPL and Sandiso Gcabayi (centre), Bitou Councillor and chairman of the School Governing Body at Murray High School.