White River residents demand another state school

Residents are demanding additional public schools as White River’s population increases and only two schools serve the area.

The White River Ratepayers Association (WRRA) is stressing the need for additional schools in the area, as the available schools are filled to capacity. Residents said public schools in town turn hundreds of children away every year. They also claimed that the former MEC for the Department of Education, Reginah Mhaule, now the national deputy minister of education, promised to build them additional facilities during the 2014/15 financial budget, but that promise did not materialise.

The situation has now forced permanent residents to take their kids to schools outside of White River, and the few who can afford it, to expensive private schools.

A ward councillor, Rowan Torr, said land is available where a large primary school can be built. “Land was made available for the provincial government to build another school in the area, but we were informed later that the budget had been diverted to something else. White River is growing, with more kids being born and no plan in place to accommodate them. Year after year learners are being denied admission to schools,” he said.

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Speaking on behalf of the residents, the WRRA’s vice chairman Pierre du Preez, said the government must do the right thing for the residents as the need for additional schools is long overdue. “Learners from this town are crowding other schools in the nearest town. This is also burdening parents with unnecessary travel costs. All residents want schools that will accommodate children in the town where they live. We cannot only have two public schools in a town that is growing daily.”

Du Preez said the WRRA will join the political parties that plan to march to the provincial government in January 2024, to demand more schools in White River.

The spokesperson for the provincial Department of Education, Jasper Zwane, said White River is regarded as one of the fastest-growing towns and is given due consideration by the department for increasing the capacity to accommodate all deserving learners. To this end, plans and discussions are ongoing to ensure that additional space is secured to build additional schools.

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“The department has built a state-of-the-art primary school in Msholozi to alleviate the influx in White River and Mbombela. The council has granted a site in Msholozi for the construction of a secondary school. This is being looked into by the department. If constructed, it will reduce the pressure on White River and Mbombela schools. The department is also encouraging parents to register their children in their areas of residence. This will help to grant priority to parents that are residing in White River for registration,” he said.