“ Hokkies must fall!”
These were the words chanted by unhappy primary school learners of a Cape Flats school who say they are tired of being taught in shacks and containers.
Parents and learners from Rainbow Primary School in Wesbank on Thursday said they have had enough of the shoddy condition their school is in.
Chairperson of the school governing body Nadia Saunders says the school was built with five types of materials including asbestos, slabs, plastic and metal containers, and has just three brick classrooms.
“This was the first school in Wesbank, and after 14 years we still don’t have a brick structure,” she tells the Daily Voice.
“We sent several requests to the education department asking for a brick building but to date nothing has been done.
“All the other schools in the area came afterwards and they are built with bricks but we still have these hokkies. The asbestos is making our children and teachers sick,” she adds.
Patrick Padasi,chairperson of the Wesbank Development Forum, pointed out huge holes in the school’s library.
“The walls are breaking and (the WCED) are doing nothing to fix it,” he says.
“Vandalism is a big problem because it is easy to break through the walls.”
Several bullet holes could be seen in the walls.
Nadia says: “The school is in the middle of the war zone when the gang violence erupts. Luckily none of the classrooms were hit while the children were inside but our children aren’t safe.”
Jessica Shelver, spokesperson for education MEC Debbie Schafer, says officials met with parents (on Wednesday). “(They) are busy compiling a list of grievances,” she says.