JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - U.S. talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is to open on Friday an innovative, environmentally friendly school she has funded with the South African government to create a model state education facility.
This comes as authorities at the exclusive private academy for poor girls that Winfrey opened in January dismissed complaints it is too strict.
The US$1.6 million Seven Fountains Primary School in Shayamoya, a remote town in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, was funded by Winfrey's Angel Network, a public charity that supports organizations and projects focused on, among other issues, education and literacy initiatives.
The school, which will serve about 1,000 children, will be run by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education.
It has been designed using environmentally responsible principles and was built with the community's participation, a joint statement from the department and Winfrey's organization said.
Winfrey opened her Leadership Academy for Girls outside Johannesburg to great fanfare on Jan. 2 with celebrities like Tina Turner and Spike Lee in attendance as well as former president Nelson Mandela.
The lavish US$40 million school was the fulfilment of a promise she made to Mandela six years ago and aims to give 152 girls from deprived background a quality education in a country where schools are struggling to overcome the legacy of apartheid.
"This school is a symbol of leadership for Africa," Winfrey said at the time.
But some parents have complained to local media that academy's rules which allow girls only one visit a month, limits their cellphone calls and consumption of junk food are too restrictive.
"It was a nightmare," foster parent Frances Mans told the News24 website. "We had only two hours to see my child. Surely this isn't a prison or an institution?"
Mystery also surrounded the departure of one of the girls due to illness and there have been other complaints about a lack of respect for African culture and tradition after one of the girls was allegedly refused permission to attend the funeral of a member of her extended family.
However, John Samuel, chief operating officer for the academy, dismissed the complaints and said the unhappy parents had raised their concerns with Winfrey over the phone.
"They have been in discussions with Ms. Winfrey and they say they are satisfied that the girls are not being treated unfairly," he said.
He said Winfrey had spent time at the academy meeting with staff and pupils ahead of Friday's event.
Samuel said the academy tried to discourage parents from bringing the girls junkfood as they were well-looked after and received a nutritious diet.
"Many of the parents are not rich or wealthy and we don't want them to feel that they have to bring the girls food," he said.
Samuel also dismissed complaints that the academy was culturally insensitive and said it was based on the African notion of ubuntu, which places an emphasis on the collective.
"We are very conscious of how we deal with people and have the community's interest at heart," he said.
Built on 21 hectares, the 28-building campus resembles a luxury hotel, with state-of-the-art classrooms, computer and science labs and a library, theatre and wellness centre. Each girl lives in a two-bedroom suite. It will eventually have 450 students.
But the school has been called elitist with ActionAid, a global development group, saying Winfrey's money could have been better spent improving the quality of education for more children.
