Fisantekraal residents taking part in feasibility assessments, in 2019, for a night school.
Fisantekraal residents have accused the Western Cape Education Department of dragging its feet in establishing a night school in the area.
According to Timothy Wildschut, a 47-year-old Fisantekraal resident, the community has been asking for community education and training (CET) centre in the area since 2017, but nothing has come of those requests.
“There are so many people of Fisantekraal, including myself, that do not possess a matric certificate and that has prevented us from getting certain jobs. A few years back, in 2017, we requested one and were told by representatives of the department that a night school would start in the area, but nothing has happened since.”
He was among 60 residents who took part in WCED feasibility assessments to gauge whether the area qualified for a CET.
“The only thing we were told after that was the same that we have been told all the time by the education department, and that is that we have to attend the CET in Kraaifontein. That is really tough for us because we have to travel there at night so it is very dangerous and expensive.”
He added: “When I left school, I enrolled with the police and became a detective at the Durbanville police station before I retired 10 years ago, and, since then, I have become an activist in the community. I have sent many emails to the department, but all I get is dates for answers that are not met. To say I am disappointed is an understatement.”
Ward councillor Ruan Beneke, who arranged for the assessments, said a CET was much needed in the area.
“In essence, the CET programme will provide many individuals with a second chance in life. There could be a host of reasons why an individual could not further their studies when at school, some because of their own doing, but, in many instances, it was factors they don’t have much control over.”
The councillor added that the results of the assessments in 2019 qualified the need for a night school.
“Without any real advertising of this programme, we could fill four classes with application forms received. I am sure we can double these figures very easily.”
Despite several emails and phone calls to the Western Cape Education Department since Wednesday November 11, Northern News has yet to receive any straight answers to our questions about the establishment of a CED Fisantekraal.