Magically, on 18 January 2023, the highways and byways filled up as the school year began. It must have been all those pesky kids in their cars. But a section of about 10 square kilometres of Claremont, Rondebosch and Newlands will humble you on the school run.
Can anyone crack the code of what must be South Africa’s school hell run? writes Gasant Abarber in a new #SliceofGasant.
Abarder, who recently launched his book, Hack with a Grenade, is among the country’s most influential media voices. Catch his weekly column here, exclusive to Cape {town} Etc.
But before we go on, were you worried about schools when you were looking for a school to place your child in? Did you happen to choose one of the educational institutions on this list of the most expensive schools in South Africa?
But let’s continue.
My daughter started her first year of high school at a school in Newlands. We live in Kenwyn. Leave home a minute too late and your kid arrives late and gets detention. And it’s your fault! The pressure!
I have my tried and trusted shortcuts. But even these hacks are neutralised when the universe is working against you. I’m pretty sure there is an official at the City of Cape Town laughing his backside off when traffic lights are timed somehow for a green light to last for three seconds.
And not everyone is keen on letting you into the traffic flow here in the Southern Suburbs, hey?
Look, it probably doesn’t help that there are a few schools situated in close proximity to each other. But on the first day of school, the traffic congestion was pretty exaggerated as the pick-up coincided with a cricket match at Newlands. The scheduler of the SA20 tournament matches obviously doesn’t have kids!
And the extra-curricular stuff starts this week. The schedule needs to be pinned to my forehead because trying to remember what time the pick-up is makes me cross-eyed. My mate, radio broadcaster Koketso Sachane, and I have now met on two occasions to thrash out a lift club for our daughters. His daughter plays basketball and mine is trying out for indoor hockey. I suspect we’re going to have to meet again as all the training occurs on different days and times.
My parents never had this discussion with me. You know, the “how are you getting to school?” talk. I just walked from Woodstock, a few good kilometres each day, to get to Salt River High and back. Others who lived further away used to travel by bus or train. They never used to fuss about us crossing the road or being abducted and our body parts sold by traffickers.
Those are the realities we live with these days. We’ve become molly-coddling parents and with good reason. I don’t let my children go beyond our driveway gate. When I was growing up we played games in the street until the sun went down. The biggest threat on my way home from school was dodging a bully. I still don’t know why he wanted to kill me.
There are thousands of children who commute by train, bus or taxi daily. My daughter wasn’t keen and, truth be told, neither was I. At least until we can guarantee her safety. I am keenly aware of our privilege and that there are many parents who can’t take their kids to school and collect them every day. I remind my children about this each day.
(I also remind them about famine struck countries in other parts of Africa. They then remind me that those countries are now more prosperous than South Africa.)
Most Manenberg families are not mobile and often both parents work. The community hits the news for all the wrong reasons, like gang violence. But you won’t read about the “school bus” they have set up where groups of parents walk children to school and across busy roads. It is awesome to see this sense of community in a suburb where there are many great things happening.
Manenberg residents deserve to be reminded there is more to their suburb than just the social ills we read about.
I am pretty sure I will crack the code of the hell … I mean … school run by November this year. It made me half-joke on social media about getting my daughter a motorised scooter. I was roundly admonished and rightly so too! The roads are just too treacherous to even consider even riding a bicycle to school.
But in all seriousness, the lack of mobility to get our kids to school safely without having to brave the school-run madness holds us back. It is just another in our long list of challenges behind our power woes, joblessness, rampant crime and the high cost of living.
See you all on the hell run. Gooi some hazards as a greeting!
Also read:
Thanks to you, Cyril, our kids will never be afraid of the dark
Picture: Unsplash