Cape Town - The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said it is keeping a close eye on the situation at Matroosberg Primary School in Belhar after hundreds of pupils were placed in a tent.

As many as 157 pupils were reportedly accommodated under a makeshift tent because of a shortage of classrooms. Up to 68 pupils were crammed into one classroom.

Images of schoolchildren being crammed into makeshift classrooms surfaced this week.

“The WCED is still processing requests for additional mobiles and educators from across all districts. We need to determine where the greatest needs are to ensure fair distribution," said Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the department. “The school has been asked to prioritise the allocation of resources and classrooms to grades one to seven, as there is a large cohort of Grade R learners occupying the classrooms of the school. 

“We are also determining the ages of learners to ensure they are age appropriate,” Hammond added.

The school told the Cape Argus they were unable to comment on the matter.