By Amelia Naidoo
Children from the province's poorest regions are still learning under trees despite assurances from the president and the education department since 2005 that the problem would be eradicated soon.
Pupils from grades one, two and four were found learning under trees in the sweltering heat when The Mercury visited Landulwazi Primary School in the rural region of Msinga, north-west of Greytown, on Thursday.
In April 2005, education minister Naledi Pandor gave KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province two months to come up with a plan to find alternative accommodation for pupils being taught under trees.
The provincial infrastructure budget for 2005/06 was realigned to ensure that cases in which pupils were being taught outdoors were prioritised, according to Pandor's instructions.
Continues Below ↓
Media reports early last year highlighted the poor condition of Landulwazi Primary and Education Superintendent-General Cassius Lubisi responded that eight new classrooms and eight new toilets would be built. However, no construction has taken place.
On Thursday, older pupils at Landulwazi were crammed into four classrooms, one of which was dilapidated, with two classes and two teachers occupying each room. Some pupils sat on the floor.
In one classroom two teachers were conducting history and mathematics lessons simultaneously while trying not to disrupt each other.
The principal has no office - she also conducts her work under the trees, using a wooden bench as her desk.
Learning outdoors leaves the pupils at the mercy of the elements. Tests and exams are often cancelled because of inclement weather.
It also appears that the education department did not tell the school, which has about 450 pupils, that it had been designated a no-fee school and did not have to collect its annual R30 school fee from pupils.
Continues...
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
