Piet Hugo SGB: ‘Mobile classrooms, but no resources’

In February 2020, the Education Department approached Piet Hugo Primary School with a directive to accommodate six classes to accommodate the influx of learner applications in the city.

Since the school had already had plans to expand, they felt it could work as an interim measure. But the necessary resources promised were not delivered, and this is the reason the mobile classrooms are currently not in use.

Mokgadi Matli, the Chairperson of the School’s Governing Body made this statement, in setting the record straight about why these classrooms are currently not used to place additional learners.

Polokwane Observer first reported on the situation on Thursday, 18 February, where the Education Department told us the mobile classes were not utilised because learners opted not to take up admission at the school.

According to Mokgadi, the idea was that the department would arrange for the resources promptly, but when weeks passed, the school did not take in more learners than it could support.

“Sadly, this is no longer the case, as the school was given another directive in 2021 to place learners from a list supplied by the department, although they still have no teachers, learning material or classroom furniture to use in the mobile classes.”

Before this, the school met with the department in December 2020, where the district made a promise to ensure that the needed resources would be made available to the school in time for the new academic year, she said.

On 19 January the school was informed that 100 learners should be taught in the mobile classes.

Mokgadi says as soon she heard this information, she sought confirmation from the department but was unable to get any response.

“The department visited us on 22 January, and we were instructed to admit these learners with no teachers or resources. The department did not care that the same classes they are asking us to admit learners into, do not comply with the norms and standard policy they have put into place. This means the classes are currently a safety hazard.”

She says certain requirements such as burglar bars, alarm systems and security measures have not been put in place.

“The placing of the learners is also unclear as there is no criteria to use, we were instructed to admit everyone who walks in. Currently we have learners and we do not know what to do with them.

“We had to hire a babysitter because we could not leave them unattended. These are costs from our budget that we did not plan for,” she commented.

She says that the department instructed them to admit the learners and then the resources would be provided.

In reply, departmental Spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene said they stood by the initial response, that the classes were not used because learners decided not to take up admission at the school.

Furthermore, Chuene says the department will not supply resources before all the learners are admitted as they do not want to run the risk of procuring material that won’t be used.