Gauteng Education to meet parents over new Noordgesig principal

Officials from the Gauteng Department of Education are set to meet with parents and community organisations opposing the appointment of a new principal at Noordgesig Primary School – allegedly due to race.

The engagement comes after classes were disrupted at the school on Friday by parents and organisations claiming the black headmaster was imposed on them.

Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said the new principal was recommended by the school governing body and was supposed to start working at the school last week‚ but disgruntled parties rejected him‚ because they preferred a coloured candidate who has been the acting principal at the school.

Mabona said last week’s protesters claim the acting principal has led the school well and that she is qualified to hold the position permanently‚ but the department believes the protest is racially motivated.

“It’s sad that the same group who disrupted learning at Roodeport Primary School and Klipspruit West Secondary School are also involved in the Noordgesig Primary School protest‚” said Mabona. “We will meet them this morning to hear their concerns‚ but as the department we won't tolerate any form of racism in schools.”

Community members in Eldorado Park recently disrupted classes at Klipspruit West Secondary School‚ because they also rejected the appointment of a black principal. The community demanded that a coloured principal be appointed for the post.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) hosted an investigative hearing in the area‚ in a bid to address reported allegations of inequality.

Shirley Matthews‚ who was a member of the Klipspruit West Primary school governing body that was dissolved by the Gauteng MEC for Education‚ told SAHRC that parents don’t have a problem with the appointment of a black principal – their main concern is that due processes were not followed.

“Racist was never a word that we knew in Klipspruit‚ until the MEC said we are racist. That word was never mentioned in Klipspruit‚” Matthews told the SAHRC.