Parents hand over memorandums to education MEC
Parents in Eden Park are determined to take their complaints to the streets until they get results
ON Tuesday, April 18, Eden Park Concerned Parents for both Eden Park Primary and Eden Park Secondary schools marched from the local police station to hand over two memorandums to officials from the office of the MEC for Education in Gauteng.
This follows a school governing body meeting held at Eden Park Primary School on March 11, where disgruntled parents walked out. They returned to the street in full force with a protest march on March 13. During the march parents carried placards with slogans demanding the removal of the SGB members.
“We as concerned parents will continue to take our frustrations to the streets until you meet our demands. We will appreciate your action as we are sick and tired of being ignored by you and the department. We regret the fact that you ignore and don’t show interest in our children and their well-being at Eden Park Secondary School and Eden Park Primary School as you refuse to attend to our complaints,” they noted in the memorandums.
Concerning the secondary school, parents demand the creation of an SGB and the removal of the principal and the two deputy principals who were not appointed by an SGB. They want to see an end to what they claim are assaults of the learners, who they say are also subjected to racism and human rights abuses. They also want an urgent parents meeting within five days to raise grievances.
Parents for Eden Park Primary believe that the MEC has been misled by both the district and SGB. They claim the principal said all matters had been attended to and were under control. But nothing was resolved, because parents walked out of the meeting held on March 11.
Parents for the primary school are demanding that the school be placed under administration. They want to see its finances managed by the provincial office and have called for a forensic financial audit be conducted. They are demanding the implementation of the recommendation of the HOD as per his letter dated August 12, 2016, to disband the current SGB. Further, they want the disbanded SGB to be barred from entering the school. They also want an election date within seven calendar days to be set for the election of a new SGB.
The parents demand the immediate removal of the principal. They say they have no confidence or trust in him. They have accused him of abusing his authority and failing to implement GDE policy on governance.
Deputy director general, Vuyane Mpofu and Sipho Mabena from the office of the MEC Panyaza Lesufi, received the memorandums on behalf of the MEC. They were not available for comment.
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