Green light for athletes
2008-01-31
Anne Kruger
THE Paarl Primary Schools Association and Boland Schools Sports Association have agreed to allow the pupils of three local primary schools to take part in athletics and other sports this year, after the schools approached the Cape High Court to urgently rule on the issue. Last Wednesday, after long negotiations, Pieter Lourens (chairman of both the associations and also a respondent in the case) agreed to withdraw the ban on the three schools (Gymnasium Primary, Paarl Boys’ Primary and Noord-Eind Primary). This was made an order of the court. The two associations will now have to carry the costs of the litigation of about R50 000. The Minister of Education, the fourth respondent, did not oppose the application. Lourens chaired a meeting in November at which members voted against the participation of the three schools in regional athletics this season, because they had taken part in Western Province trials for Craven Week last year. The three schools submitted that they had been forced to play trials for Western Province to abide by the borders of Sarfu, which administers schools rugby. In their submission to the court, the schools pointed out that 17 other schools in Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Paarl (including Paarl Boys’ High, Gymnasium High, Courtrai Primary and WA Joubert Primary) had also played their rugby for Western Province during Craven Week, but had not been victimised in this way. In addition, the constitution of the Associations do not allow for a vote against participation of a member without due notice being given. Stated Henk Arangies (head of Boys’ Primary) in an affidavit: “The effect of the decision, taken by a show of hands, offends the constitutional imperative that the best interests of learners must be of paramount importance in every matter. “The Association took selective disciplinary action against the schools without any sort of fair procedure. We were not supplied with any charges or given any opportunity to rebut them. “Learners will be excluded from participating in their sport and will be deprived of the opportunity to take part in provincial trials. “The affected schools may also face a loss of learners, who will be compelled to migrate to other schools merely to be able to participate in the sport of their selection.“
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