As thousands of learners returned to school on Wednesday, parents in Bishop Lavis staged a protest over critical issues such as teacher shortages, overcrowding, and the lack of science subjects in schools.
The demonstration, led by the Bishop Lavis Action Community (BLAC), highlighted their frustration with education cutbacks.
Protesters carried placards and demanded action in response to the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) decision to cut 2 407 teaching posts last year.
The protest was supported by various organisations, including the Special Action Committee on Education (SAC), the Western Cape Education Crisis Committee, and several political parties.
BLAC spokesperson Amanda Davids outlined their demands:
- Immediate end to teacher layoffs and the hiring of additional educators.
- Reallocation of funds to prioritise education and health.
- Introduction of pure mathematics, physical sciences, sports and sports sciences, robotics, and coding to Grade 12 levels.
- Investment in innovative programmes to encourage working-class children to excel in the sciences.
- An end to the gradual privatisation of education.
Davids expressed concern about the impact on children living in gang-ridden communities.
“It feels like education is being privatised. If you can’t afford it, your child won’t receive a quality education.
“Our matriculants who pass with 30% cannot gain university admission and only realise this when they apply. Bright students in Bishop Lavis are being denied opportunities. To study science, they have to cross the N1. This is worse than Bantu Education. What did we fight for during the struggle? They’re forcing us to raise gangsters because our children have no future to aspire to.”
Vanessa Le Roux, founder of Parents for Equal Education South Africa (PEESA), highlighted that other provinces faced budget cuts without teacher job losses.
“National had warned the Western Cape to make these teachers permanent, but now the province is bearing the consequences.
“This isn’t just a Bishop Lavis issue; it’s affecting the entire province. There’s a push to phase out subjects like pure maths, which is essential for university entry. Former Model C schools can afford maths teachers, but township schools are left behind.
“It’s systematic discrimination. Our children are being denied opportunities because pure maths is a university requirement. This creates a ripple effect that blocks their futures. The WCED is targeting communities they believe are powerless, supported by unsuspecting school governing bodies (SGBs).”
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond confirmed that Bishop Lavis high school offers Mathematics and Physical Sciences from Grades 10 to 12.
"There was allegedly a picket organised by the Bishop Lavis Action Community (BLAC) on Wednesday."
* The story has been updated to include WCED comment.