Rhodes Combined High School shut down for operating illegally

A concerning discovery has been made about Rhodes Combined High School, operating on Rose Avenue in Extension 1, Lenasia. Despite claims of being registered with the Gauteng Department of Education, an investigation by the Lenasia Rising Sun has revealed the truth – the school is operating illegally.

The investigation began with a query about the school’s registration status. However, when the school’s principal, Mr Moses, was questioned, he became uncomfortable and evasive. The Gauteng Department of Education was contacted for validation, and a team was sent to verify the school’s registration status. The results were inconclusive, and further investigation was needed.

While Rhodes Technical College, situated at the corner of Rose Avenue and Eland Street in Extension 1, Lenasia, is indeed registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training, the registration does not extend to Rhodes Combined High School.

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On Saturday, February 8, a meeting was held with parents, where the principal broke the news. Mr Moses told parents that the school’s environment was classified as not suitable for learning. This was due to the fact that the school is situated on the second floor of a building, which has shops and salons trading at the bottom, causing a noisy environment.

He cited that when Dr Mabaso from the Gauteng Department of Education (chief education specialist for registration and de-registration of independent schools) arrived at the school, loud music was blaring from the ground floor, which he questioned.

Dr Mabaso revealed that the school had been operating illegally and would need to shut down immediately. Parents displayed frustrations, with most admitting they never checked if the school was registered with the Department of Education or not.

Speaking to one of the parents, she stated that she was told the school was legal when she registered her child at the beginning of 2025. When asked if she didn’t check the environment where the school was operating, she told the Lenasia Rising Sun that she registered at the college across the road from the school premises. “The first time I came here was when I brought my daughter on her first day of school,” she said.

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While other parents complained about the placement of their children and the vast difference in school fees, one parent revealed that she used to pay R600 per month for school fees, which again poses questions about why a private school would be so cheap.

Dr Mabaso assured parents that the pupils would be placed in other schools as soon as possible. “All this is in the priority of the pupils,” he said. However, the future of the school’s employees remains uncertain.