Wide-eyed start for 109,000

More than 109,000 Grade 1 children joined the Western Cape's schooling system yesterday in what observers said was a day without major hiccups.

The secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers' Union in the province, Jonovan Rustin, said that despite reports of overcrowding and placement problems "the schools have started very well".

But some said they had to turn children away.

At Bernadino Heights High, in Kraaifontein, 60 pupils have been turned away since Monday. They had not been registered last year and the school could not accommodate them yesterday.

At Enkululekweni Primary, in Wallacedene, dozens of pupils crowded the reception areas with their parents, all hoping to find a place.

"We always face this challenge," said the deputy principal, who asked not to be named.

"Parents want to bring their kids here because we are topping the system in this area."

Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said 109,000 pupils joined the Western Cape schooling system, bringing the total number of pupils to more than a million. Another 34000 children were enrolled in Grade R.

Schäfer visited Blue Downs Primary, in Eerste River. She said the department was concerned about the safety of pupils there.

"It is the police's job to keep the areas safe, not ours, but obviously we are concerned with the safety of our learners and teachers," she said.

Across town, in Manenberg, pupils headed back to school with the threat of violence hanging over them.

Edmund Treu, principal of Downeville Primary, said fear was more pervasive than ever in the poverty-stricken suburb.

"I've been here 38 years and we are now more fearful than we have ever been. Things are so bad that we didn't know if all our pupils would turn up today," he said.

The school is in the middle of territory contested by gangs and people have been caught in crossfire in the gang wars.

Two metro policemen, in bulletproof vests, patrolled the corridors of the school as a helicopter hovered above.

Heide Deneker, 39, whose two children are at the school, said there was "machine gun fire day and night. The kids didn't want to come to school, they were so scared."

Treu said: "Things are bad but I like to think that, despite all the gloom, we remain a beacon of hope for these kids.

"At least we can keep them safe from eight till three.

"It's what happens when they leave these gates that terrifies me."