Farm schools fight goes to court

FOUR farm schools are taking the Eastern Cape Department of Education and the national education minister to court over a decision to close them down without, they say, proper consultation or a written plan of action.

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) is representing the Centre for Child Law (CCL) and the school governing bodies of Huntley Glen, Belmont, Belvedere and Lynedoch farm schools.

In November, the principals of the schools – all in the Fort Beaufort district near Bedford – were informed their schools would be closed by the end of the first term this year and pupils sent to a hostel in Adelaide, 80km away.

In December, the department announced it would be closing 2 000 “unviable” schools in the province to move resources and staff to where there was more demand.

The LRC says there was no consultation with parents.

In their urgent application, the school governing bodies and the CCL seek to interdict Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and the provincial department from closing the four schools, or any other schools, until they have complied with the procedural requirements for the closure or merging of public schools.

They also want the department to provide schools with a written plan on how the closure or merger of public schools will take place.

The matter will be heard on May 12 in the Grahamstown High Court.

LRC attorney Cameron McConnachie said there were only 38 pupils attending Huntley Glen, 11 pupils at Belmont and another 11 attending Belvedere. There were only five pupils at Lynedoch.

“We acknowledge that some of these schools are small and some should be closed, but there are procedures that should be followed.

“Schools have been closed without the proper channels being followed and children are being left in the lurch without any available scholar transport to get them to school,” McConnachie said.

In her affidavit, parent Yandiswa Nqangela said: “Many of the learners will find a move to a hostel extremely difficult after having experienced nothing but rural farm life.”

Nqangela, who has two children at the Huntley Glen school in grades 2 and 3, said: “Parents are concerned about the general safety of hostels and the increased risks to learners that will accompany less supervision.

“The threat of violence and sexual assault may increase for learners who are living in hostels away from their families.”

Nqangela was also concerned about supervision in the hostel and the provision of adequate food, as well as her children doing their homework and taking care of their personal hygiene.

Former Agri EC president Ernest Pringle, who owns the land where the Huntley Glen farm school is situated, said the decision to close the school would have a negative impact on communities.

Provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department had communicated with the relevant education district to obtain more information on the matter.