[caption id="attachment_237455" align="aligncenter" width="512"] College Hill – which caters for Grade R to Grade 3 pupils – stopped being a feeder school to Muir College and Riebeek College two years ago.
Picture: The Herald.[/caption]
Parents with children at College Hill Preparatory in Uitenhage appear to have been lulled into a false sense of security based on the historical progression which has seen pupils automatically qualify to attend two of the town’s more popular English high schools.
College Hill principal Birgitta Marais said as far as she knows they are no longer an automatic feeder school for Muir College Boys High or Riebeek College Girls and parents were regularly informed of this.
College Hill – which caters for Grade R to Grade 3 pupils – stopped being a feeder school to Muir College and Riebeek College about two years ago. College Hill parents have historically pinned their hopes on their children being accepted to attend either of these schools. It is an assumption which, Marais said, was historically correct, with College Hill initially being purpose-built to cater to the two schools.
Even the school badge comprises Muir’s rampant lion emblem and Riebeek’s bee emblem. But circumstances have changed.
Marais said that this year the school had 165 Grade 3s across five classes. With Muir and Riebeek only catering for a maximum of 35 pupils in each of their two Grade 4 classes, about 25 pupils from College Hill were likely not to get in.
“We have always been the feeder school for Muir and Riebeek, so much so that in the past parents would actually receive and drop off applications for the high schools with us,” Marais said.
“However, as a result of the huge demand to accommodate more children, we increased the class numbers from about 27 to 35.
“Over the last 15 years the school has doubled in size. Consequently we no longer guarantee acceptance at the high schools.
“Annually, we have a meeting for parents in the beginning of the year where we ensure they are aware that their child being at College Hill does not ensure they will be going to the two high schools.”
About 10 former College Hill parents disagreed with Marais’s explanation and have taken their complaints to the Eastern Cape Education Department’s district office. They hope the district office will find places for the pupils, several of whom are yet to start school this year.
Cathy Valaydon said she had been told only in August by College Hill that a place for her child was not guaranteed.
“What are we supposed to do? We were told once we get into College Hill our children would go to Muir and Riebeek. Only in August last year, when I went to the school to find out about applications, was I informed that their place was not guaranteed.”
Zanele Nakani said her child did not have anywhere else to go.
“He still doesn’t have a school. College Hill only goes to Grade 3 so the children should be accommodated in Grade 4 at either Muir or Riebeek, as we were led to believe.
“The department needs to make a plan to cater for the growing number of English pupils in the town because this is becoming a recurring problem.”
The overwhelming number of applications has caused concern with Riebeek principal Kieran Stear and Muir principal Robin Stephenson, who were forced to reject hundreds of applications due to space constraints.
Stear said he had had to turn away between 600 to 700 applications. “We only have two Grade 4 classes and our building is already stretched to capacity, with the majority of our primary school already accommodated in prefab classes. “
We have heard talks of realigning schools, so the high school and primary will be separate and accommodated on different premises.
“However, we can’t go forward with any plans until we know what the fate of the