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.
