MBOMBELA – The school is a non-profit organisation and one of many schools that rely heavily on support and donations from the community.

Schools closed on March 18 after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster. In some schools, school fees paid by parents help pay the school’s bills as well as salaries.

READ: Cleaning and colour for Pro Gratia

“We are struggling financially, as only 10 per cent of the parents have paid school fees. We have only managed to pay our cleaners and teacher’s assistants and we have only paid our teachers a small portion of their salaries, which will allow them to only buy groceries. Our management team has also not been paid as of yet,” said Claudi Engelbrecht, academic head and educational psychologist at the Learning Centre.

Engelbrecht mentioned the efforts the school is making to keep the learners up to date, which includes offering online therapy and online learning for their learners.

ALSO READ: Youth Day flavoured to perfection for Pro Gratia

“We have already made plans on how to practise social distancing when the schools reopens. This includes setting our learners in hula hoops. For the ones who lack the ability to understand and practise social distancing, we have decide that they will take individual recess,” said Engelbrecht.

Engelbrecht also told Lowvelder that they are still waiting to hear from the Department of Basic Education on how they are going to phase in special-needs schools during this pandemic. The fate of the little ones they have lies with the Department of Social Development.