ERIC MATOME KGOMO
SAAIPLAAS: Embokodweni Primary School in Saaiplaas, Elias Motsaoledi Local Municipality in Limpopo, is in dire state of despair.
The condition of the school is causing sleepless nights to parents, with its old dilapidating structure and ceilings falling off frequently.
According to parents, the school was since built in the early 1980.
The only primary school in the village admitted more than 600 pupils with only two four-classroom blocks.
Now parents and concerned residents threaten to shut-down the school demanding urgent intervention by the Limpopo Provincial Department of Education.
A concerned parent, Abram Mahlangu, informed Timeless News that they informed the Education Department about the poor state of the school about ten years ago.
“We have spoken to the department immediately when we realize that the school has started falling apart. They promised to send officials to assess the school and that never happened. They did nothing to attend to our problems,” he said.
Mahlangu added that their main concern is safety of pupils, who are urged to take their lessons in classrooms that are seemingly to be posing risk to their lives.
“The structure is no long conducive for teaching and learning, particularly for young primary school learners. Back in 2019, ceiling boards collapsed in several classrooms, it wounded a learner, who was later, hospitalized in one of those classes. Something must be done about the situation,” he said.
Mahlangu said parents pleaded with the Education Department in the district level to renovate the school as a temporary measure, however, they were told to use the norms and standard budget to do the renovation work.
“It is impossible to use those funds for renovations as they have other purposes to serve in the school. This is a clear indication that the school is neglected and abandoned,” he said.
Mahlangu said they will prevent their children from attending the school if necessary intervention is not taken by the department.
Limpopo Department of Education Spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene, said they dispatched an infrastructure team to make assessment in the school.
“We will comment further about our interventions as soon as we receive the assessment report,” she said.
