CONCERNED residents in Brits, North West said they don't want any child not to be placed at Michael Madisakeng Secondary School in Majakaneng outside Brits.
The residents are demanding the school principal place all the children from the area first before placing those from other areas.
Community leader Itumeleng Maledu (42) said overcrowding is affecting the school and they want more classrooms to tackle this issue.
According to the residents, the school reopened on Wednesday, 17 January and Maledu said the delay was due to some issues affecting the school, which include overcrowding and the registration of pupils.
"We have even engaged the district Education Department and we agreed to meet on Monday, 22 January, but they didn't come. We tried to call them, and their cellphones just kept ringing without being answered," he said.
He said the issues are still there even though the school is operating.
Maledu said Michael Madisakeng secondary is the only high school in the area and should accommodate all children from the area.
"We want all our children to be accepted in our school. We have at least 600 pupils and when all children are placed, we will have over 1 000 pupils," he said.
Resident and former school governing body deputy chairman, Stephen Tsotetsi (65), said: "We are sitting with a huge problem in our school. We need more classrooms. No child must be prevented from going to school."
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Kabelo Maumakoe (22), a regional coordinator of Congress of South African Students (Cosas), said: "We are disappointed by how the department runs the school. Age must not be an issue to prevent children from learning. We don't want children to become criminals."
North West education spokesman Mphata Molokwane said a meeting was held with community leaders on Wednesday, 24 January. He said the complaint was about over aged pupils who were not readmitted.
"The matter was amicably resolved and these pupils will be back at the school. The overcrowding issue was discussed and the circuit manager and principal were given suggestions to consider while waiting for any intervention. The method of intervention to the school will be temporary structures to accommodate and reduce overcrowding at the school,” he said.
