The Western Cape Department of Education has denied claims that the Wynberg satellite of GlenBridge Special School will be required to vacate its current premises by March.
GlenBridge caters to learners from six to 18 years old, with intellectual impairment as a primary impairment. These impairments include Down Syndrome, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, and Williams Syndrome, as well as intellectual impairment as a result of acquired conditions.
The school currently has 221 learners in total. There are 141 learners at the Diep River campus. The Wynberg satellite campus, located on the corner of Wolfe Street and Piers Road, accommodates 80 learners.
Theresa Malgas, a concerned parent, said a day before the first school term was scheduled to start (Wednesday 19 January), parents received a notification from their WhatsApp group’s admin that two of the classes, the yellow and blue class, would only start the following week (on 24 January and 27 January, respectively) because these two classes could no longer use their current rooms and had to be moved.
A follow-up WhatsApp message, answering parents’ question of “why the sudden move”, said: “The building we are currently in doesn’t belong to GlenBridge. The school wants their building back as of yesterday. They have given us the opportunity to gradually move out. However, the Department of Education hasn’t given GlenBridge another premises.”
The message went on to say that unless they hear otherwise from the WCED, GlenBridge Wynberg needs to clear out completely by March this year.
“Thus far we haven’t heard anything from the department,” the message read.
Malgas says she was extremely upset when she read this message. She says it took her two years to secure a spot for her son, Gabriel (8), at the school.
Gabriel has global development delay and Malgas says the Wynberg satellite campus is the only option available for his education.
“And it is not just the parents who are upset. So are their special needs teachers. There are only eight to nine children in a class, so their learners are like their children,” adds Malgas.
Kerry Mauchline, spokesperson to Minister Debbie Schäfer: Western Cape Ministry of Education: says there are no immediate plans to move the satellite away from the current premises.
“The satellite campus does not need to move premises. However, another WCED programme is due to start in April on the Wynberg satellite premises.”
Mauchline explains that the satellite was accommodated in a part of the building on the Wynberg site to address the need for additional space for learners that could not be accommodated at the Diep River campus.
“The site has been partially upgraded but further repairs and maintenance need to be done to accommodate the additional programme, requiring of the moving of classes within the same site,” she says.
According to Mauchline, GlenBridge was informed of the required relocation of the classes that were to be upgraded last year.
“The relocation arrangements were managed by the school.”
Malgas says she is not satisfied with the department’s explanation.
“It doesn’t surprise me, because they are forever saying one thing and doing another,” she says.
