Delft schools provide leaners with relief aid

By Chanel September
29 February 2008

Various schools in the Delft area have come to the aid of 152 learners that have been affected by the Delft-Symphony evictions.

Leiden Primary and High School, Voorbrug High School, Kairos Primary School and The Hague Primary School have all come out in support to assist those learners.

The school provided assisted with aid after evicted parents reported that their children are not attending school because of a lack of uniforms, food and books.

The Metropole North District Office of the Western Cape Education Department surveyed school attendance in the area last week and found that attendance was normal, except for The Hague Primary School, where attendance was down by about 40%.

“Whilst I support the order of court as government’s first responsibility is towards the legitimate beneficiaries, I nevertheless want to thank those schools that have responded to this humanitarian crisis and for putting in place temporary relief measures for the learners, says education MEC, in a statement, Cameron Dugmore.

Meanwhile in separate incident

Angry Strand parents held the principal of Silukhanyo Primary School and an education ward councillor hostage in a shipping container on Wednesday.

The group of parents decided to take matters into their own hands after they were told that there was no place to accommodate their children.

Some of the children have not attended school since the beginning of the new school year.

Education spokesperson Gert Witbooi says that instruction has been given to officials to prepare the two additional classrooms so that learning can get underway.