A classless society
CHARTWELL - Every morning when Monette Domingo leaves for work, she leaves her 12-year-old son Slayter at home in Chartwell North.
If he gets bored, he could always visit his friend. The two boys have no option but to stay at home because there is no public primary school in Fourways.
While her son does not fulfil his constitutional right to attend school, Domingo’s biggest contention is that Fourways continues to grow without the provision of a public school.
Domingo questioned, “How does the department approve applications for residential establishments without building school infrastructure in the area?” She said there should be access to a public school within a 5km radius.
The Gauteng Department of Education admitted there was a backlog of about 200 schools throughout the province. Department spokesperson Gershwin Chuenyane said Fourways and its catchment area were one of the prioritised sectors that would be provided with schooling infrastructure. “We are building two primary schools in the area, one in Zandspruit and the other in Cosmo City,” said Chuenyane.
He referred to the opening of Johannesburg Far-North Secondary in Cosmo City and the completion of North Riding Secondary School to support the rise in residential developments in Fourways. He said more schools would be built according to demand and financed with the help of the Gauteng Fund Agency, the Department of Finance and the Independent Development Trust.
Domingo believed there was an easier remedy. “If the department was to object to the residential applications, for example the Kengies development in Broadacres which the department sited no objection to, the applications would not be approved. The department would then have bargaining power to ask the developers to finance a public school. It would be a win-win situation,” said Domingo.
Ward 96 councillor Matome Mafokwane backed Domingo.
“It takes two hours for most Fourways residents to take their children to school in peak hours. The municipality should consider building a public school when expanding the area,” said Mofokwane.
Domingo has drawn up a petition to put pressure on the department to build a new primary school and welcomed the community to sign and give comment.
Details: moreschoolsplease@gmail.com
