Oprah Winfrey's company, Harpo, has responded to a South African news report that Oprah's Leadership Academy for Girls is so strict that it resembles a reform school. Some of the rules at Oprah's School have parents expressing concern about the facility saying the rules make it hard for them to keep in contact with their children. Some of the parents were scheduled to voice their concerns during a conversation with Winfrey but the school's governing body canceled it.
John Samuels, the executive of the school, said he sees nothing wrong; "We have the security and well-being of the girls at heart, in every respect," he said. "If there's too much movement on the premises at the weekend, it disturbs the school spirit."
Frances Mans, whose foster daughter Gweneth Mulder is one of the girls claimed that she had to wait at the security gate for thirty minutes to be "signed in" for a recent visit; "It was a nightmare," she told The Witness. "We had only two hours to see my child. Surely this isn't a prison or an institution?"
Harpo has confirmed these rules for students:
- The maximum number of visitors per pupil is four -- so in some cases entire families are not allowed to visit at once.
- Visitors are asked to bring books for students rather than unhealthy snacks, but there is no ban on junk food.
A Harpo spokesperson says: "Our goal is to protect the health, welfare and well-being of the students at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. As with other boarding schools, we provide a structured, safe and nurturing environment in which the girls can learn and develop."
