Beacon Valley parents are kwaad that their children have been rejected by Oval North High School, despite the school being situated right on their doorstep.
Mom Jasmine Jeneke says: “I applied when the applications opened in February and my child wrote the acceptance test, while I also gave in all the paperwork that they needed but now they are saying that his application was unsuccessful because the school is already full.”
Jasmine, who lives in Rolbal Crescent – about a kilometre away from the school – added that many other parents in the area have been through the same thing and were required to pay a R50 fee for the test but they have also been denied.
“My son is now in grade 7 at Alpine Primary and his teacher called me to say that only five children in the class have been accepted to Oval North,” she adds.
“I do not understand why this is happening because Alpine has always been a feeder school for Oval North.
“My child’s marks are good but he is not getting accepted to any of the schools in the area.
“I applied to six others and they all say they are full.”
Duwayne Jacobs, a community activist and a parent of a Grade 12 pupil at Oval North, said that the school has turned its back on the community and that the parents have planned a protest outside the school on Monday.
Neither the principal nor the SGB replied to queries sent via email and phone.
The Western Cape Education Department’s Bronagh Hammond said schools have been inundated with applications and that “disappointment can be expected”.
But she added: “Schools may not charge fees such as a registration fee, a deposit, re-admission or pre-admission testing fees, or any other fees at the time of application.
“School fees may only be charged after the learner has been informed in writing of his or her acceptance for admission to the school.”