Irked parents shut down school

LIMPOPO – The school faces a shortage of furniture due to an overcrowding problem that started in 2012. Fed-up parents said they would allow their children to return to classes after the distribution of mobile classes to the school.

“It is not good enough that the government provides mobile classrooms; they must build new classes for our children,” the parents were unanimous in their opinion.

Police officers were deployed to monitor the situation after school governing body (SGB) members locked the educators and learners out of the school buildings, as they said the classrooms were overcrowded.

SGB chairperson, Thomas Malema, said they were concerned about the health risk overcrowding posed. He said the chronic shortage of furniture and classrooms were of great concern and demanded the department looked into the matter urgently.

The school has 996 learners and 21 teachers from Gr 8 to Gr 12.

We have applied many times to the department for classrooms, but our pleas have not been heeded.

Classrooms are supposed to accommodate between 40 and 50 pupils, but they are overflowing with more than 100 learners per class. Some learners have to use pieces of wood taken from broken desks or anything flat they can find as a surface to put their books on.

“We were told in 2012, when we met with officials of the department in Polokwane, that they would build classrooms, but they never kept their promise. Something must be done before we lose our children’s lives in this risky situation. We want the MEC of Education, Ishmael Kgetjepe to come and see the conditions.

“Earlier this year, we reminded the department of its promise. Our children cannot continue like this. We are left with no other option but to withdraw them for their safety, and until such time that the government listens to us, we will not let our children to come here,” Malema said.

He said they demanded 12 classrooms, an administrative block, a hall, laboratory, library, kitchen, dining hall and a guard room be built.

School principal, Patrick Mabogo, did not want to speak to CV.

Education spokesperson, Dr Naledzani Rasila, said there was a backlog in the department. He said many schools around the province were running short of classrooms.

Rasila further said they are going to deliver mobile classrooms and furniture will be delivered shortly. “Michael Denga Ramabulana High School is at the top of the list,” he said. He appealed to parents not to disturb the education process and to allow learners and teachers to go back to class.

“We are worried about the issue of removing children from the school. Removing children from the classrooms is denying them their future and we strongly condemn that,” he said.