Gauteng Education denies discrimination claims by Afrikaans parents at Laerskool Theresapark

This after a group of parents marched to the school on Friday to vent their anger.

They claim the discrimination against Afrikaans pupils is rife at the primary school – and that the pupils are being taught in a storeroom.

Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona says the number of Afrikaans and Tswana speaking pupils are relatively small.

"We know that at that school, which was previously an Afrikaans school, we have learners who are still taught in Afrikaans but the numbers are low.

"The majority of learners in that school are those who are doing English and Afrikaans as a second language.

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"We must confirm that there was an introduction of Setswana. The Setswana learners are fewer same with the Afrikaans learners. All those fewer learners we do what we call is the repurposing of spaces.”

Mabona adds that old rooms on the school's premises have been repurposed.

"This means that you can convert a store room or you can also take what used to be a gym or any other room where you convert such a room to be an environment that will be conducive for teaching and learning.

"That is what is being happening at that school. They felt the rooms that were utilised for other things they can be changed. Because you can't have a class of seven people."

The department has accepted a memorandum sent by parents raising their concerns. 

A meeting between the school and parents will be held on Monday. 

The school made headlines in May last year when the then principal was violently removed from her office, allegedly by a group of parents who claimed he drove the school to financial ruin.