Parents from Kunobombo Primary School in Centane are appealing to the Department of Education to build new classrooms for their children, as they are using mud classrooms that could collapse at any time.
The chairperson of the School Governing Body (SGB), Xoliswa Fose, said that they were promised the school would be built in 2021, but that did not happen.
“The contractor was appointed but he did not start the work because he said he was not paid by the Department of Education. He left his building material there at the school,” said Fose.
Fose says that one of the classrooms has a big hole because the wall collapsed due to heavy rains.
According to her, these classrooms were built by parents, and the department assisted.
“We are combining grades so that all learners can be in a classroom. What is painful is that we do not want this school to be shut down because now we are losing learners due to this problem.”
Another parent, Nonezile Nyekana, said their children have become sick because the school does not have windows and doors.
“They are very young to be taken to other schools; that is why we are asking government to do something. We are hoping that they will help us because this is painful,” said Nyekana.
Spokesperson for the Department of Education, Mali Mtima, confirmed that the contractor was sent to the school, but due to financial problems he decided to stop building.
“The main problem is that the school has 81 learners. The rule of the department is saying the primary school should have 135 learners and a senior secondary school must have 200 learners at least, in order to qualify to be built by the department,” said Mtima.
He said that this school has 81 learners, and the district has facilitated scholar transport to be organised for them, so that they can attend a neighbouring school.
