The recent article on the Dayspring Study Centre has led to an outpouring of support from parents for the principal, Sue Parry.
Various comments were posted on social media in which parents and members of the community expressed their support for the work being done at the school and its high standards.
“Dayspring is a great school, well respected and so is Sue Parry,” wrote one reader.
“With so much flux in our education system I appreciate the initiative and fresh approach Dayspring offers,” writes another.
“Dayspring is a wonderful school. I had difficulty finding a high school for my daughter and the only one in our feeding area is scary to say the least. My daughter never has been happier, and her marks show how wonderful the school, teachers and Sue are,” was the sentiment of one mother. Another said, “They deserve to be open and stay open. The amount of hard work, determination and sheer commitment that Parry and her staff give to those kids is outstanding. Keep up the good work.”
Former councillor Ray Baur, whose granddaughter attends the school, also has defended the school strongly. Baur, who is well-versed in municipal by-laws, pointed out, “In order to receive permission to operate as a study centre, it has to be up and running before inspectors can do an inspection, and approval received from authorities. This places the Dayspring Study Centre, which Mr Esterhuizen is rejecting, in a catch-22 situation. Esterhuizen’s fervent responses seem rather defensive, leaving his agent provocateur-behaviour suspect. The town planners state that a business application and rezoning could take from seven to 12 months before permission is granted, depending on the backlog of applications to Town Planning”.
Owen Mda of the Land Usage Management explicitly stated that the school can not keep on operating unless the relevant approval has been given.
Although there was a considerable amount of support for Parry and the school, some begged to differ, wanting to know why the school was operating and whether their applications have been approved.
Parry kindly declined to comment further but indicated that all her outstanding paperwork has been lodged.