Khayelitsha School Still Without Stationery

Dozens of learners from Sinako High School in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, protested as education department officials visited on Monday. The school is short on stationery for the new school year.

Classes at Sinako High School in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, resumed on Tuesday after a protest by learners and community members on Monday.

According to community leaders, many learners at the school have been without stationery since the start of the academic year. Learners without books and pens have not been taking notes during lessons. Parents also complained that requests for new furniture for Sinako have gone unanswered by the Western Cape Education Department.

On Monday, department officials came to the school to address staff, learners and parents. As one of the officials arrived, a crowd of learners surrounded their vehicle.

During the meeting, learner representative Masixole Melaphi said they need books, desks and chairs. “Some learners managed to buy books but others are too poor to do so,” he said.

Circuit manager Nokuzola Malgas said the company hired to deliver stationery and books had failed to do so. Many other schools had also not received their stationery as a result. Malgas promised to “prioritise getting books and desks” for the school and promised to return in two weeks.

Community leader Mavis Mpulo complained about teacher shortages at the school.

Parent Myolisi Magibisela said the current principal has been acting principal for seven years.

Magibisela asked the department to facilitate the formation of a school-governing body to deal with problems at the school.

Circuit manager Thabo Manganeng said, “The school is chaotic because it has no school-governing body to deal with some of the problems that you raised.”

Manganeng asked learners and parents to form a committee that will liaise with the circuit managers regarding issues at the school.

The department’s Carder Tregonning blamed the school’s furniture troubles on the number of break-ins at the school over the last year. He asked the school to immediately resubmit its requests for furniture.

Tregonning promised to visit the school once a week to monitor the situation.

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