The Worst Decision in History….or at least at Chameleons Montessori

Up until very recently my 8 year old son, Joel, has been going to school on a Wine farm. It sounds quite idyllic, doesn’t it? Like many other parents, who want the best for their children, we thought that being educated in such a lovely rural environment would give Joel the happiest memories of his school days.

The Chameleons Montessori School, on the Nitida Wine Farm just outside Durbanville, looks, at first glance, to be perfect. There are little springbokkies gambolling in an enclosure directly in front of the school building, a large pond and stream to the side and all around views of neatly tended rows of grapevines complete the picture.

So, at this point you may well be wondering, “how can this be such a bad decision?”
Well, you see, it’s all those manicured rows of grapevines. It’s just not natural!

The effective and profitable management of vineyards for wine production is a hugely complicated task. Nature waits at every turn to wreak havoc in the form of mould that can wipe out a years crop in a matter of days. Insect pests lie in wait eager to feed on the budding grapes and fresh leaves. It’s a war in which farmers must defend their harvests and science provides an impressive and powerful armoury.

The routine spraying of a wide range of agricultural chemicals is an unavoidable fact of modern farming. According to information provided by the Montesorri school, Nitida used 17 different formulations during the last growing season. An assortment of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides all of which carry health and safety warnings that literally make me shudder.

Concerns about the possible effects of these chemicals have been raised, over the past 14 months or so, by a number of parents, some of who’s children had in fact been quite unwell. The school, however, has not been convinced of any need to respond in any significant way to these expressions of concern.

An organisation called TATIB (The Air That I Breathe ) was contacted by some concerned parents towards the end of last year (2009) for advice and help in addressing this perceived problem. TATIB attempted to alert the school but rather than allow parents to learn about these potential health risks and to allow for informed decisions and discussion with regard to our children’s safety the school decided instead it knew better and attempted to prevent TATIB’s message reaching parents.

The inappropriateness and clumsy way ( I’d like to describe it stronger terms but that will have to wait…) this entire matter has been dealt with by the school will become very clear on reading through the various accounts you’ll find posted on this blog. For now, we intend to merely document what has been happening and our feelings and responses to these events. You’ll also find various links and further reading material should you wish to gain a broader appreciation of the complexity and seriousness of the issue of exposure to agricultural chemicals.

Ford Hallam
10 May 2010