Some parents whose children attend the Oatlands Preparatory School are concerned that their children, when they finish Grade 3, may struggle to find a place at Victoria Primary School, which has previously received children from the African Street school.
Some parents whose children attend the Oatlands Preparatory School are concerned that their children, when they finish Grade 3, may struggle to find a place at Victoria Primary School, which has previously received children from the African Street school.
Oatlands, a public school offering primary education from Grade R to Grade 3, was reportedly informed in a meeting between the two primary schools late last year that they might have to find alternative schools besides VP.
A parent whose child was attending Oatlands last year, who wishes to remain anonymous, said Victoria Primary School had informed Oatlands that they would no longer guarantee places for their Grade 3s.
Colette Kaiser, the acting principal at Victoria Primary, said the school had been overwhelmed by an increase in the number of pupils applying to attend the school and, as such, their capacity to reserve places for children coming from Oatlands was reduced. She said there were always greater pupil numbers in Grades 4 to 7 than in the lower grades. "We are growing our foundation phase [Grades 1 to 3]," said Kaiser, and we are going to have two classes in Grades 1, 2 and 3. That's our aim for the next few years."
Treasurer of Oatlands Preparatory School's governing body, Pradeep Ranchod, expressed concern that it appeared the next step for girls leaving the school was not clear. Ranchod said Victoria Primary School's decision was based on what was "clearly a capacity problem", adding that other Grahamstown schools might be struggling with the same problem. "The point is what are the schools doing as a whole," said Ranchod, "and how are they addressing the issue."
When Grocott's Mail visited Oatlands last week to get clarity on the matter, the school's principal, Rosaria de la Mare, refused to comment.
These recent concerns about capacity echo our report last week on another school, Victoria Girls' High, which is reclaiming premises hitherto occupied by the Gadra Matric School, in a bid to accommodate a growing number of pupils. The Gadra school will have to find a new home by the end of this year.
Despite Victoria Primary's reduced capacity to accept graduates from Oatlands, however, Kaiser said, allaying parents' concerns: "Children from Oatlands will keep applying to us and we will continue to receive them."
