As part of its preparatory work on proposed plans for a new high school in Brackenfell, the provincial education department engaged with the community in an information session on Friday evening.
This, according to provincial education spokesperson Bronagh Hammond, is part of the department’s planning process, but does not necessarily mean a new school in the next few years.
“There are several new school proposals that are undergoing the same internal processes to determine needs, costs, and demand in various areas. Any new school going forward is therefore budget dependent. We cannot commit to a new school at this stage, but community engagement is part of the research process,” she told TygerBurger ahead of the meeting last week.
But regardless of whether the department decides to proceed or not proceed with this project, it will not be ready for the 2026 intake, she said.
“While we would love to commit to this project, and many more new school build projects, at this stage, we are cognisant of the financial realities we face as a result of national fiscal challenges. We will announce any plans to build a new school once a final decision is made.”
The proposed school on a site in Frans Conradie Road, will feature an admin and classroom block, specialist classes, a dropped landscaped courtyard, school hall, retention ponds, netball courts and a playing field to accommodate 1 100 learners.
Shortage of schools
Brackenfell has for years been experiencing a shortage of schools due to an explosion in property development and population growth. This resulted in crowded classrooms and many learners not able to find a classroom at the start of the academic year. It has left scores of parents and children living in Brackenfell in the lurch, where only three primary schools and two high schools serve a population that back in the 2011 census counted 53 185 people in 18 000 households.
Since then, the ongoing school crisis has been bemoaned by the community every time a new high density property development is approved by the City of Cape Town.
And while role players in the property development sector project R22 billion in the mixed-use residential markets in the next 10 years for the greater Brackenfell area, the provincial education department suffered massive budget cuts in 2024 to address financial constraints due to national fiscal challenges.
