There was a slow start to teaching and learning on the first day of school in parts of Limpopo yesterday due to lack of infrastructure.
Several schools reported that they didn't have enough classrooms to practice social distancing.
The chair of the Saviour Association of School Governing Bodies, Caiphus Moshutla, described the first day of schooling as “a sham”, adding that the department of education in the province had failed to provide basic infrastructure such as mobile classrooms, toilets and food for the school nutrition programme.
“Sekhwiditsane, Raseasala and Boikhutsong primary schools in the Capricorn North [district] are without sufficient toilets. Puledi Primary School in Sekgosese West circuit under Capricorn North does not have toilets. The department supplied the school with 12 mobile toilets last year and during December, those toilets were taken to Ladana for safe keeping by the service provider,” he said.
Moshutla said the toilets were not returned to the school.
He said schooling was also disrupted because no food has been delivered for pupils in the Malamulele circuit.
A teacher at Khumelong Primary School in Seaphole village, outside Modjadjiskloof, who wished to remain anonymous, said learning will resume today to allow pupils to be grouped.
“There is not enough space here, we only have two blocks. The grade Rs don't even have a classroom, hence they are playing outside,” she said.
Parents at the school said two blocks were not enough to accommodate close to 300 pupils.
Julia Modika, a member of the school governing body, said the old block was no longer safe for children. “We have an old block that was built with mud bricks by community members over 40 years ago. The block is damaged and we had asked the department to build more classrooms as they promised,” she said.
Modika said two years ago, the department promised to build more blocks at the school.
According to the tender document Sowetan has seen, the school was intended to receive three blocks, two grade R blocks, multipurpose classrooms and the old building was to be demolished. The compulsory briefing for the tender was supposed to be held on July 19 2019 at the school.
Provincial education spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said they were yet to receive detailed reports from district directors, however, their observations suggest that the first day unfolded as scheduled.
“The MEC and members of senior management staff will be visiting several schools this week to assess how the first week is unfolding, especially looking at the national school nutrition programme, learner transport, provision of Covid-19 health and hygiene essentials, delivery of textbooks, stationery packs, school furniture, water and toilets, among other issues,” she said.
Chuene said with regard to Khumelong, the project was not awarded due to challenges experienced during the procurement process.
“The project is due for re-advertisement. The advertisement should take place before the end of the current financial year,” she said.
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