VIDEO: Crowd of parents 400 strong at Fourways High
FOURWAYS – Camaraderie took on a new form as over 400 parents waited outside the entrance to Fourways High School, some camping at the gate for two days beforehand, in order to ensure their children are enrolled in the public school in 2016.
The first parents began queuing on the morning of 19 April after they were told that registrations would open at midnight on 21 April. An emergency meeting was held by the Gauteng Department of Education the night before, however, where it was announced that registrations will only be allowed to open at 8am, forcing many of the camping parents to brave the cold outside for a second night.
While moving through the unofficial campsite, parents were asked why they are willing to go to these lengths to have their children enrolled at Fourways High. The combined answer was a resounding: “It’s the best high school in Fourways.”
Apart from zoning restrictions, many of the parents stated that even if they were able to afford private schooling, they would still prefer to have their children go to the school because of its top class facilities.
An online registration system reportedly went live on 20 April, but many of the parents were not made aware of it. Some who did know about it, stated that they wouldn’t risk using it and would prefer camping outside the entrance to physically make sure their children get a place.
Some parents made a fun outing of the two-day camp, setting up braais, making new friends and sharing a nightcap with like-minded parents who all rallied together to get what they say is the best education for their children that any public school could possibly offer.
Mothers and fathers took shifts waiting in the queue, while other parents paid their domestic workers to queue for them.
Principal Wendy de Bruyn declined to comment, as staff and teachers were explicitly ordered by the education department not to speak to the press.
The gates of the school opened shortly before 8am when parents were divided into groups and registrations commenced in an orderly and civil fashion.
Social media posts regarding the queuing were met with mixed emotions, with many people asking when more schools will be built and questioning the limited space available at Fourways High. The school is one of only two public high schools west of Fourways, Northriding Secondary School being the other, and it falls under Ward 115.
Councillor for the ward, Chris Santana, said that it has been an uphill battle with the education department regarding the issue of new schools.
“There are numerous nursery and primary schools in the area,” Santana explained.
“There are even plans in the pipeline for the department to build two more primary schools in the ward – one of them next to Northriding Secondary, but I have been contesting this because I feel that property would be put to better use to enhance the facilities at the secondary school.”
Santana stated that Fourways High is not the only public high school in the area and he encouraged residents to try and support Northriding Secondary School too.
View a video of the queue outside Fourways High here:
Were you one of the parents camping outside of Fourways High School to ensure your child is enrolled for Grade 8 in 2016? Share your views and experiences with us by sending an e-mail to us at fourwaysr@caxton.co.za
