The sudden announcement of the closure of Bilal Combined School’s Grades 10-12 has sparked frustration and outrage among parents, who are now demanding urgent answers from both the school and the Department of Education. With the academic year already underway, many parents are particularly concerned about Grade 12 learners who are falling behind in their studies and facing an uncertain future.
In light of this, frustrated parents will gather at the school, tomorrow morning – 22 January at 6am – in a peaceful effort to get answers. ”We are having our voices and kids voices heard so we not being violent. Grade 8 and 9 are sitting on the fence as per that letter and if we leave this and will just have to accept it and find another school. We are going to get the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to give the principal and staff the opportunity to get the grades up and we as parents drive our kids and show the GDE that we are all here to make the difference and take the school to another level. The teachers have tried and now it is our kids future’s we need to protect. Please support our plea and will be there tomorrow,” a parent told GLOBE POST.
According to parents our reporters spoke to this morning – 21 January – parents only received this devastating news on Monday evening – that the school’s senior phase was being shut down with immediate effect. Parents are questioning the lack of communication and transparency. “Why are they telling us this now? They should have informed us earlier last year so that we could make alternative arrangements for our children. Schools are full now, what are we supposed to do? This is unfair and unacceptable,” said one angry parent.
Adding to their frustration, parents discovered that the official closure notice was dated 20 December 2024, yet they were only informed a month later, raising serious concerns about accountability within the school’s management and board. Principal, Saeed Mahomed, explained that he only saw the letter on 16 January when schools opened.
Mohamed expressed his own shock at the Department of Education’s decision. He told GLOBE POST: “We were initially given the go-ahead to continue with the 2025 National Curriculum by the Department. However, on 16 January, we unexpectedly received a letter stating that the school is only approved to operate up to Grade 7. This was a complete surprise, as we had submitted all the necessary documentation to extend our accreditation up to Grade 12.”
Despite their efforts to seek clarity from the Department, Mahomed revealed that they have yet to receive a concrete response. “We were informed that our school will not offer matric this year, meaning Grade 12 learners must find alternative schools. This impacts our operations, but we remain committed to finding a solution,” Mahomed said.
Additionally, the school’s failure to meet the national academic average over the past few years is believed to be a contributing factor to the Department’s decision. The closure also puts several staff members at risk of losing their jobs, further compounding the crisis. Mahomed assured GLOBE POST that most of the affected staff will be absorbed into the current staffing
NOTE: This is a developing story – Globe Post is awaiting a response from the Department of Education.
A PARENT’S LETTER TO THE EDITOR: WE WANT ANSWERS AND JUSTICE!
The start of the academic year is a time for hope and new beginnings, but for parents and students of Bilal Combined School’s Grade 10, 11, and 12 cohorts, it turned into a nightmare. On the evening of January 20, 2025, parents received a sudden and unexpected message calling for an emergency meeting the following day. The meeting revealed devastating news: the school’s senior phase, encompassing Grades 10 to 12, was being shut down with immediate effect.
This decision, attributed to noncompliance and non-performance, was reportedly mandated by the Department of Education. The school principal conveyed that the decision was beyond the school’s control, leaving parents and students in shock and dismay. To add insult to injury, students were asked to return their textbooks, and parents were left scrambling to find alternative schools.
Key Issues Surrounding the Closure
Lack of Transparency
A critical point of contention is the letter issued to parents on the morning of January 21, 2025. Shockingly, the letter was dated December 20, 2024, raising serious questions about why this information was withheld for an entire month. Parents are rightly demanding clarity on when the school management and board members became aware of the Department of Education’s decision. If the letter was indeed in their possession in December, why were parents and students not informed earlier?
Financial implications
Parents have already paid school and registration fees for the year, adding financial strain to the emotional upheaval. With the abrupt closure, they are now left without a school for their children and no clear direction on refunds or compensation. This lack of accountability exacerbates the sense of betrayal felt by the community.
Accountability of the Board
The school’s board members, Qari Basheer and Sheikh Basouni, who are part of the larger Al Tawheed organization, have been conspicuously absent. Their silence has fueled anger and frustration among parents, who feel abandoned during a time of crisis. Parents are demanding a direct address from the board to provide factual explanations and take responsibility for the situation.
Impact on learners
For students, particularly those in Grade 12 preparing for their matric exams, the closure is more than an inconvenience; it’s a significant disruption to their education and future prospects. The sudden upheaval leaves them without the stability and resources needed to succeed in their final year of high school.
What Needs to Happen Next
The following steps are crucial to address this crisis:
Immediate Communication from the Board: Qari Basheer, Sheikh Basouni, and other board members must break their silence and address parents and students with transparency and accountability.
Refund of fees: The school must expedite the process of refunding school and registration fees to alleviate the financial burden on parents.
Collaboration with the Department of Education: The school and Department of Education must work together to assist affected students in finding alternative schools. Special provisions should be made for Grade 12 learners to ensure continuity in their education.
Investigation into the delay: An independent inquiry should be conducted to determine why the closure announcement was delayed for a month and to hold those responsible accountable.
Support for learners: Counseling and academic support should be offered to affected students to help them transition to new schools and cope with the emotional toll of the closure.
A Call for Justice and Fairness
The abrupt closure of Bilal Combined School’s senior phase highlights systemic issues in communication, accountability, and governance. The affected families deserve answers and support to navigate this crisis. More importantly, the education and future of the students must remain the top priority in resolving this debacle.
The silence from the board members is unacceptable, and it is imperative that they address the community without delay. Transparency, fairness, and swift action are not just expectations-they are the right
As someone that deals with this up close. I have a few things to say. The board members are new. They took over I think 2 or 3 or maybe 4 years ago. In 2020 it was still the other board members. But the new board members. They are amongst others to blame for this mess. They destroyed the school’s good name. The school had structure before they took over. Most of the “best of the educators” left. So they started employing incompetent teachers. Either the teachers just don’t show up to educate. Or they go to school smelling like a brewery. I believe one teacher was fired after hitting one of the students. Same one that came to educate with that delightful brewery smell. Yet when he smelled like a brewery it was overlooked. At the same time there’s good teachers. So please this isn’t meant for all teachers. There’s still teachers that care about education and the students. But sadly most left. And they employed teachers that is underqualified to teach the higher grades. So the quality of education dropped. Can not expect students to have good grades if they don’t employ teachers that is highly educated. And know their stuff.
The principal is biased against non muslims. Arrogant and talk too much. Despite the fact that the school was open for anyone from any religion. Last year it almost got him in deep trouble with the parents. He quickly had to educate himself on his stand as principal.
The former principal cared about what he did. He kept the school’s name high. They should’ve let him run the school. The school had a good reputation with him. Now that reputation is spiraling downwards. But with the board members the previous principal couldn’t keep doing it.
The school refused to hand out report cards in a previous year. School’s act state that its between the school and the parent. Can not under any circumstances target the children and under no circumstances can they withhold report cards. There will be legal consequences as they violate the school’s act. Yet they did that. Imagine children’s names being called out. Their books taken from them and being sent home. This happened all over the school. Then comes the part where they took phones from the children because the students exposed their incompetence.
Imagine hearing a day before an exam the study content. To a student that takes his grades serious. He prides himself in getting A’s. B for him is a day of being upset and feeling he didn’t do good enough. And here’s the glitch. It was never discussed at school because the teacher was absent. In fact it was never discussed in school. Midyear exams. Give the students credit. They formed a group and studied together helping each other on a WhatsApp group they created. They help each other to succeed. Why can the school the principal and the board not learn from their students. Its a shame. Already a lot of children left the school because of the way the school is run. But the young man I know. Will be doing matric this year. So yes he too is affected by this incompetence from the principal and the board members. And yes he was sent home. Despite the fact he should be in school. Only to have this news dropped on the parents and children.
And yes it’s true. The principal knew in December already and yesterday they just dropped the news. Via Whatsapp in a document. Just dropped the news like that. Again revealing incompetence. Not only is the board members an embarrassment. Hiding while they should step up and deal with the consequence of their actions. But now it all fall on the parents. But also. Bringing in a principal that talks too much while actions should speak louder than words. Actions will always speak louder than words. Again revealing the way the board ran the school.
The department of education is also to blame. They should see that all these kids get placed into other schools. Hopefully an improvement to this school.
I could say more. But in the process it will reveal who the student is. So let’s stop there.