Parents, teachers, the school governing body, and stakeholders in the communities of Verulam and Phoenix are up in arms over the recent merger of Woodview Secondary School and Shastripark Primary School which they say will impact their children.
The move saw an influx of more than 700 new learners to Woodview Secondary which according to SGB members and parents, is in no condition to facilitate the children.
Sharon Sewraj, chairperson of the Woodview Secondary School SGB, said that in the initial meeting that was held between a representative of the Department of Education, the principal of Shastripark Primary as well as staff and parents of Woodview Secondary, they were informed of the growing need for a primary school in the area bordering both Verulam and Phoenix.
Sewraj said they were informed that the school will be merged with Shastripark Primary, to form a combined school which will increase the number of learners from just over 400 to more than 1100.
“At the time we raised concerns about the readiness of the classrooms but we were told that no merger would move forward until the classrooms have been renovated, however, the classrooms still sit in a state of disrepair,” said Sewraj.
Due to funding and issues remaining from the Covid-19 lockdown, Woodview Secondary has in recent years been operating in two of the four blocks available to the school. The two blocks that are closed off to learners were leased out to businesses and religious organisations to earn funds for the school.
With the rooms unoccupied, the classrooms have fallen into a state of serious disrepair. The isolated nature of the blocks and the lack of fencing and overgrown grass have also led to vandalism and theft.
“In those two blocks, there is damage to the ceilings and floors, there is no electricity or working plumbing. Windows have either been broken by thieves and vandals or completely walled over to prevent their entry, leaving those rooms without proper ventilation. As it stands the area is not safe for our children,” said Sewraj.
Despite an appearance by assessors from the Department of Public Works in September 2023, Sewraj alleges that they have to date received no feedback and that the two blocks remain in a state of disrepair.
With only the two available blocks the school has been struggling for space holding 45 to 55 learners per class before the merger. Sewraj said: “With just the initial 400 learners there are already overcrowded classes and a shortage of furniture. We do not want the additional 700 learners to come here only to bear the struggle of not having enough chairs, tables, or space.”
With the merger of the schools all tenants had to be evicted from the unused blocks as the classrooms would be needed, cutting off a source of income. In a letter to the department from concerned parents at the school one of the concerns raised was the loss of this income.
“We have been advised that all tenants’ leases are to be terminated. This will place the school in a financial crisis. Woodview Secondary relies primarily on tenant rentals as a means of finance as the school collects very little in school fees. How will we cover essential expenses with more learners and no extra income?” read the letter signed as the SGB parent component.
In the letter, aggrieved parents also raised several other concerns including the need for more toilets for both learners and teachers, the danger caused by the lack of fencing and overgrown grass of the now unusable school grounds, the staff room being unable to accommodate the increased teacher complement and the distance some learners will now have to walk to make it to school.
“The travel time from Zwelisha is between 48 to 55 minutes, depending on the route walked. Many learners will be walking even greater distances as the school hosts learners from not only Woodview but also Mountview, Cornubia, Parkgate, KwaMashu, and many other areas. Walking this distance leaves children open to crime. We have already had learners being held up or even stabbed on their way to school or back home,” said Sewraj.
Speaking on the merger, Theo Pillay, chairperson of the Woodview Ratepayers Association, said: “We at the Woodview Ratepayers Association never received an invite to the merger meeting. The ward councillors of the respective areas did not receive an invite either. Consultation with community leaders and stakeholders is important however there was no consultation done. The merger has gone ahead and the children are here now, it’s going to create more challenges but we cannot send them back. The next step now is to find ways to mitigate these challenges, this will require aid from the Department of Education.”
The Department of Education was contacted for comment but did not respond at the time of print. The concerned parent is calling on the department to review their decision and to renovate the unused blocks at the school which are a cause for concern and have led to overcrowding in classrooms.
