Shortages of furniture, classrooms in schools abound

More and more reports are being received from schools across the province that do not have sufficient furniture, classrooms or teachers while some also claim they have not received certain textbooks.
Learners at the Michael Denga Ramabulana Secondary School near Louis Trichardt who were reportedly not attending classes last week returned to school on Monday after around 250 desks were delivered to the school last Saturday. The Department of Education reportedly promised that another 500 desks would be delivered to the school by tomorrow (Friday). This after parents, teachers and learners protested against overcrowding and lack of classrooms and furniture at the school.
The school, with more than a thousand learners and reportedly with less than twelve classrooms, asked for 12 classrooms, an administration block, a hall, library, kitchen, dining hall and guard room. According to Naledzani Rasila, Head of Communications at the department, the school is one of many needing more classrooms, as there is a huge backlog in Limpopo. Mobile classrooms and furniture will be provided where needed.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), during a visit to schools also found more than 300 learners at Raeleng Secondary School in Bela Bela using tomato, beer and cold drink crates instead of chairs and desks due to the department’s failure to provide chairs and desks to the school for the past two years. The school’s enrolment is reportedly more than 830 learners and 70 learners or more share one classroom.
“This is inhumane and also undermines a conducive learning environment and learner discipline,” Jacques Smalle, DA Provincial Leader said in a press release. He said the unacceptable overcrowding of classrooms is against the department of education’s learner-to-educator ratio (LER) “which states clearly that no more than 35 learners per classroom is allowed.
He also alleges the school does not have textbooks for Mathematics, English, Economics and Life Science from Grade 8 to Grade 12 and believes it is not an isolated incident. “We discovered these appalling conditions during an oversight visit assessing schools’ readiness last week,” he said.
“Ulando Combined School in the same area also did not receive their textbooks for Grade 8 to 12 learners, and is short of educators.”
Smalle said in the 2013/14 financial year, 60% of the capital infrastructure grant which was not spent, could have been utilised to purchase chairs and desks and even provided upgraded infrastructure to the deserving schools.
He said the DA has written to Education MEC, Ishmael Kgetjepe to urgently intervene in this crisis by providing mobile classrooms, chairs and desks as an interim measure to address overcrowding.

Story: NELIE ERASMUS
>>nelie.observer@gmail.com