The parents of a primary school in Atlantis, north of Cape Town, have vowed to block any schooling until they are given a date for when they will get a new school building.

“We want it on black and white,” said Shane Jennicker, chairperson of the Avondale Primary School’s School Governing Body.

“This place is falling apart.”

“The current prefabricated classrooms were built with a 15-year lifespan in mind, but they are about to turn 40,” he said.

Parents are worried about cracked balconies, holes in classroom panels and broken windows, and have refused to let their children on to the property.

Almost 1 000 pupils attend the primary school in the West Coast town, but their parents say they can’t go there any more because it is too dangerous.

ANC councillor in the area Fiona Abrahams said the parents closed the gates early on Wednesday morning, refusing to let anybody enter.

The police were also called and the department of education has addressed them, she said.

But Jennicker said the department was not giving them the answer they want – a construction date.

“We are going to carry on with the lockout tomorrow. They must come and tell us, for example, on July 1 your school will be rebuilt,” he said. News24