Education

11.     (a)    WCED officials submitted a recommendation to me to consider the closure of Graafwater High School and Lambert’s Bay Primary School with effect from the end of December 2020.  The reasons for the recommendation were, inter alia, in order to repurpose these and other schools to make way for a High School in Lambert’s Bay and a Special Needs School in Graafwater.

                   The information provided to me in support of that recommendation included:

1. The learner attendance figures of schools in the area were as follows at that time:

Graafwater:

• Graafwater High School: Grade R-12 (653 learners of which 425 are in the high school)
• Graafwater Primary School: Grade R-7 (349 learners)

Lambert’s Bay:

• Lambert’s Bay PS: Grade R-7 (189)
• PW de Bruin PS: Grade R-9 (847 learners, of which 195 are in Grades 8-9).

The majority of the learners in Graafwater High School are from other areas, and not from Graafwater itself. Every day, the WCED was thus transporting 156 learners from Lambert’s Bay to Graafwater in order to attend the High School there and other learners travel in from areas such as Elands Bay or Leipoldtville and surrounding farms.

Together with the 195 learners in Grade 8 and 9 from PW de Bruin, the numbers attending high school in Lambert’s Bay far exceeds that of those that live in Graafwater itself.

3. The requirements of Special Needs learners on the West Coast, including that the WCED has 71 public special schools across the province, but only three are in the West Coast Education District, namely:

• Karitas School for SID (Severe Intellectually Disabled) learners in Vredenburg (128km from Graafwater);
• Riebeeck Valley School of Skills in Riebeek Wes (157 km); and
• Weskus Spesiale Skool in Saldanha Bay (138 km).

There are also no Special Schools or a School of Skills in the Graafwater area.

The vast geographical area of the West Coast District currently means that learners requiring high levels of support often have to travel great distances over weekends (when hostels close). As can be seen on the distances above, learners with severe disabilities or requiring the vocational pathway in terms of learning, have to travel over an hour and half to their nearest school. There are other learners who were not even able to find a space at those schools, as both have reached their capacity and cannot accommodate the number of applications received each year – leaving hundreds of learners that are unable to cope in mainstream schools with no alternative option.

It is imperative that we provide opportunities for these learners in this area.

Having  carefully considered all of the above, as well as the representations put forward to me by the school communities and other role-players  consulted in this respect during the statutory public participation process that was applied prior to any decision being taken by me in this respect, I  decided to close Graafwater High School and convert it into a Special Needs School, bringing specialised support services and vocational skills training closer to the community of Graafwater, Lambert’s Bay, and surrounding communities.

The building will be utilised as a School of Skills and Special School (75% and 25% split).

(b)    The school closure process set out in section 33 of the SA Schools Act, including the consultation process set out therein, was followed. In accordance with said Act, the decision was taken by me on 4 August 2020, to close the said school with effect from the end of the 2020 academic year.

Finally, I want to confirm that  in response to similar questions raised of my office by members of the ex-School Governing Body and a Mr Franklin Adams during November 2020, a reply with a detailed outline of the process followed and my reasons for the decision was provided on 24 November 2020. I attach the letter as an annexure for the member’s convenience.