Residents outraged after school changes ownership
BRYANSTON - As the new school year commences, concerned parents who enrolled their children at Ashfield Preparatory School were surprised to find out that the school name and ownership has changed.
The Ashfield School had been taking registration fees since last year, but parents were alarmed that the school, located in Shepherd Avenue in Bryanston, had been renamed to The Sandton Junior School.
The principal of Sandton Junior School, Nadya Katz, said she does not know much about the previous tenant who ran Ashfield Preparatory School and does not have any of the documentation of the children who were expected to be enrolled at the now defunct school. “I’m just the new tenant and in good faith I’m offering the parents who did pay her [previous tenant] registration to come in and register their kids. And I won’t charge them registration fees.”
Katz, a teacher with 17 years experience, took over the lease in October last year and established the new school on 15 January after a court interdict removed the previous tenant off the premises and granted Katz control.
Though many parents have expressed outrage at the sudden change of ownership, Katz said some of the parents have been quite happy with letting their children attend Sandton Junior School as their registration fees have been wavered.
Though there has been conflicted views among residents as to whether the school is adequately zoned, Katz confirmed with the Sandton Chronicle that they are legally zoned as a ‘daycare centre’ allowed to look after 300 children.
Katz concluded, “All I want is some little laughs and giggles in this building. I think it’s enough tears with all this nonsense.”
