Unhappy pupils from Fairmount Secondary School in Grassy Park marched to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) district offices yesterday.
Plantation Road was a sea of red and black as children in their school uniforms marched with their teachers to demand better learning conditions.
Their list of demands includes more teachers, improved school fencing, efficient day and night security for protection against vandalism, a maximum of 33 pupils per class and for their school to have a lower quintile position from their current fifth ranking.
Children marched with their teachers to demand better learning conditions. Video: Robin-Lee Francke
Public schools are placed on quintiles to determine the type of financial resources they get.
Quintile one is categorised as “poor” while quintile five is categorised as “least poor”.
Pupils carried placards which read: “not enough teachers”, and “overcrowded classes of 50+”.
The chairperson of the Representative Council of Learners (RCL), Jayden Matthews, after handing over the memorandum and meeting behind closed doors with officials, said they have given the department seven days to respond.
“If there is no response we’re going to take this further,” says Matthews.
“We have been requesting these demands from the department since September last year.
“Pupils at the school cannot learn in this manner. Classrooms are overcrowded, pupils cannot concentrate, it’s claustrophobic and uncomfortable.”
A teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, says they fully support the pupils.
“We stand in solidarity with the pupils. The department’s theme for the year is Functionality,” the onnie says.
“How can we be functional if we’re short of teachers? We’ve got 21 teachers but need five more after the department took two teachers away last year.
“We’ve got two teachers appointed via the School Governing Body but we cannot afford them,” the teacher says.
Kerry Mauchline, the spokesperson for Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, says a survey is currently underway to see where resources are most needed.
“This information allows the WCED to determine where additional posts will be allocated based on demand, infrastructure and availability,” she says.
“The total number of pupils in the Western Cape school system has increased by 130 000 over the past five years, without a corresponding increase in budget to build extra schools, hire more teachers, and provide additional educational resources.”