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Johannesburg - Pupils and teachers at Roodepoort Primary School in Davidsonville have returned to class after the school reopened on Tuesday morning, the Gauteng department of education said on Tuesday.
Department spokesperson Phumla Sekhonyane said Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi had had a meeting with parents on Monday night.
"MEC Lesufi had taken a decision on Friday to close the school due to ongoing disruptions of teaching and learning at the school.
"Acting out of the best interest of the learners and ensuring that their right to receive education is in no way compromised, the MEC took a decision to reopen the school. This follows a request from parents of the learners at the school in a meeting yesterday [Monday]," she said.
Community members protested outside the school in western Johannesburg again last Friday over the appointment of three SA Democratic Teachers Union teachers. Residents claim due process was not followed.
The second matter was alleged maladministration by the principal and the chairperson of the school governing body. The third matter related to the election of a new school governing body.
In February, a group of coloured parents protested at the school, demanding a coloured principal. They claimed the process of appointing black principal Nomathemba Molefe was flawed.
Children were prevented from entering the premises and schooling ground to a halt for about two weeks.
Sekhonyane said at the time that the department had investigated the community's claims last year.
"[Investigators] found that there was no evidence of the alleged irregularities in the process of appointing the current principal," she said at the time.
On Tuesday she confirmed that teachers and pupils had returned to school and that law enforcement officials were on site to monitor the school, protect the pupils and staff as well as the school's property.
"All teachers are back, we have confidence in our law enforcement, who are on site and we are confident that teaching and learning will resume today [Tuesday]."
She said Molefe had also returned to work, along with her two deputy principals.
