SALUBINDZA – One of the oldest schools in the area is in a dilapidated state and in dire need of a facelift.
Salubindza Primary School was built in the early 1980s and lost sections of its roof in a storm in December last year.
It has not yet been repaired.This has triggered anger among the parents of learners. They blockaded the entrance to the school for a week, claiming that the school’s environment was too dangerous for their children.
“Parts of the roof of one block are on the brink of collapse. The foundation of another block can cave in at any time. We won’t allow our children to come near those buildings until the department has renovated them,” says Mr Sipho Dube, chairperson of the school governing body.
On Sunday a parents’ meeting was held at which it was agreed to give the department a chance to carry out repairs to the school.
In the meantime, they need mobile classrooms and have been promised delivery by representatives of the department.
“We agreed to allow our children to go back to school, but not to come near those two blocks. We expect the department to deliver mobile classrooms by February 2. Failure to do so will result in our going back to the streets in protest and preventing effective learning from taking place,” added Dube.
The school has more than 720 learners from grade R to grade seven.
Mr Jasper Zwane, spokesperson for the department, confirmed that the situation had stabilised following a progressive meeting held between the department, school governing body and parents on Sunday.
“Teaching and learning commenced on Monday and the department is satisfied with how things are progressing on that front,”
he said.
Zwane added that eight classrooms had been damaged by heavy rain on December 20.
Officials visited the school to assess the damage and to propose the proper remedial action.
“This was done at all schools within the province that had been damaged by heavy rain in December 2014 and January 2015,” he said.
The department has since resolved to provide mobile classrooms as an interim measure while the process to repair the school unfolds.
“We wish to thank the school governing body for its coorporation and the school has been advised to put systems in place to recover lost time,” he said.
