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Parents of children at JG Meiring High School took to the streets proclaiming “Enough is enough!”
On Monday 22 January concerned parents protested in front of the Goodwood school to express their dissatisfaction with the school and its management, in particular the headmaster.
“Our kids went through hell last year,” one angry parent related, “with issues ranging from no teachers for terms on end, fights where children ended-up in hospital, cellphone syndicates and gangs at the school.”
According to parents this year has started on a note no better than last year’s, with kids not knowing where to go on their first day and books not being supplied.
“To date no timetables or teaching was taking place,” another parent said.
One of the major issues parents had was Grade 10 and 11 learners being called by name over the intercom telling them that despite reports telling them they passed they had failed the grade. The school had made a mistake on their report, and they did not progress to the next grade as originally stated.”
Added to this humiliation for these Grade 10s was having to make subject choices again, since there was a shortage of teachers or none to teach certain subjects.
“We are tired and fed-up,” the last parent said. “The Northern District Education Department is of no help. We as the parents are protesting on Monday.”
One of the parents who also participated in the protest was Heinrich Cupido, whose son was severely assaulted last year and now has permanent damage to his cheekbone. He wondered how far things have to go before the school and department make changes. The learners who attacked his son, also from JG Meiring, were never expelled, nor has the headmaster, Natalie Bailey, ever spoken to his parents.
About 40 parents participated in the protest.
