“Our children always have flu, after gathering in the dust as they have their lessons outside,” said Ratseke Primary School governing body member Reuben Selowa.
Ratseke Primary School, located in Ratseke village in Limpopo, was built more than 40 years ago and no renovations have been done since.
Selowa told Sunday World that the department of education in Limpopo had provided them with four mobile classrooms that only cater for grades 1 and 2 pupils, while the upper grades learn under trees.
“Classrooms have no roofing and walls have cracks, making it unsafe for pupils to use them,” he said. “The buildings are dilapidated and some have collapsed over the years.”
He said when it rains there is no school for their children and as a result they get behind with their schoolwork.
Selowa said the department reached out to them earlier this week and promised to deliver six mobile classes to the school.
He said that though the classrooms had collapsed, toilets were built for the pupils, and they go outside the school to the community to get water.
“The toilets are built in a good state and there is a kitchen for both educators and learners at the school.”
Mashohla Nkwana, a parent who is fed up with the school’s current state of disrepair, said the government has been making empty promises since 2013 and no action has been taken to better the school.
“We as the parents are now striking until the government keeps its promises.
“We have prevented our children from going to school because it is not safe for them to do so,” said Nkwana.
Limpopo department of education spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said the school is on their priority list for infrastructure development projects.
Chuene said a site has been set aside for a new school that will cater for the merged Ratseke and Mahekgwe schools.
“The construction project is planned for the current financial year, 2022/23. “We are already advertising for the erection of a fence,” said Chuene.
The new buildings will include classrooms for Grade R facilities, a small administration block, a fence and water and sanitation facilities.
Chuene said the department has provided six mobile classrooms to the school while waiting for construction to begin and noted that two of the mobile classrooms were burnt down in May. Chuene said this was a step backwards.
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