Parents Protest Over Delayed School Promise In Cape Town

A group of concerned parents from Solomon Qatyana Primary School in Strand, Cape Town, organised protests this week, demanding the Western Cape Education Department WCED fulfil what they claim was a promise to build a new school before the 2025 school year begins.

However, the WCED denies such a commitment was ever made.

According to News24 , the school has been shut down since Monday, with parents and the school governing body SGB refusing to allow their children to return until they are given a definitive timeline for the construction of a new school.

The existing mobile classrooms, which have served as the schools temporary setup since 2005, are located on a parking lot near a local field, and many parents say the conditions are unsuitable for learning.

IOL reported that parents and pupils gathered outside the school throughout the week, demonstrating with signs that read 'Education for the children' and 'Children deserve proper school structures.' The protests were met with a police presence as the situation escalated.