Some Western Cape pupils started the third term in vandalised classrooms, while others stayed at home due to gang violence.
|||Cape Town - Some Western Cape pupils started the third term in vandalised classrooms on Monday while others stayed at home after incidents of gang violence.
Five classrooms at Arcadia Senior Secondary in Bonteheuwel were left without electricity following two incidents of vandalism during the holidays.
Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said the school had been vandalised on July 3 and 8 and electrical cabling and wiring stolen.
Acting principal Chris Arendse said the thieves entered the classrooms through the roof. Once inside they made holes in the ceiling cavity to steal the electrical wiring. This didn’t always trigger the alarm. And Arendse said because the alarm went off only at the security company’s control room and not at the school, the school security guard did not know when there were trespassers. He appealed to residents to come forward with information.
Brenda Manuel, principal of Rio Grande Primary in Manenberg, said several pupils were absent yesterday. The school borders Renoster Road, the scene of many shootings this month.
Manuel said many parents had opted to walk their children to school. At break pupils had to play near the school buildings, well away from the fence.
“There are signs sometimes that shooting is going to start, like whistling or when you see people begin to gather. The children know the signs already and then tell us ‘juffrou, hulle gaan nou skiet’ (miss, they are going to shoot now).”
Casey said counselling and trauma support were available to schools upon request.
Grant said initial reports from the eight education districts indicated that there had been no major problems on the first day of term.
Only 103 days remained before the start of the National Senior Certificate exams. “By now, our Grade 12s should all have received their June examination results, which will indicate how they are doing. Learners should use this as a benchmark to determine which subjects need more attention.”
The department was analysing the results of underperforming schools to determine where support was needed. Grant said all schools were encouraged to sing happy birthday to Nelson Mandela on his 95th birthday on Thursday.
ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za
Cape Argus