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THE POLICE will patrol Tlhwahalang Secondary School in Jan Kempdorp on Thursday morning after pandemonium broke out on Wednesday when pupils arrived to find the gates locked.
The lock on the gate was broken and pupils stormed into the premises as the school was closed for the third consecutive day this week.
The pupils later left and went home.
The community was advised that attempts would be made to find alternative placement for the four educators who were forced out of the school on Monday as well as to find a peaceful solution regarding the deputy principal who was elected by the school governing body.
Northern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe said that parents had been informed in writing that the school would remain closed until it was safe for educators, learners and support staff to return.
“The head of the Department of Education met with members of the school governing body on Wednesday. It was collectively agreed to reopen the school on Thursday. This agreement is on condition that the SAPS Public Order Police will be on-site to monitor and safeguard the situation for as long as deemed necessary,” said Van der Merwe.
He added that the district office was developing a recovery plan to ensure that learning losses were recovered as soon as the situation had returned to normal at the school.
“The SAPS managed to calm the unrest at the school on Wednesday. At this stage, it’s unclear if any damage was done to the school infrastructure. We sincerely thank the SAPS members and all stakeholders for making attempts to resolve the situation within the legal framework. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation at Tlhwahalang High School,” said Van der Merwe.