MBOMBELA – The ANC government in Mpumalanga is failing learners in ensuring that schooling is accessible.

This claim is according to Cllr Muso Kubheka DA Youth Mpumalanga chairperson.

According to Kubheka, the Infrastructure backlogs implementation plan report signed off by Education MEC Reginah Mhaule on earlier this year gives an overall confirmed condition of schools in the province.

“The report states that 92 per cent of all schools in Mpumalanga need between 11 to 100 percent of their structures replaced, and could cost over R20 Million.

It is evident that the department has many challenges to deal with classroom backlogs.

There are schools whose amount of learners have increased rapidly and are in dire need of classrooms, there is currently a need for 3 369 classrooms in this province,” said Kubheka.

He further stated that construction of a school worth R44 Million in Middelburg which was scheduled to begin in April this year has also been delayed adding that this is not the only project that has seen the department dragging its feet.

“A boarding school in the Nkangala District is behind schedule. For this project, the department has only managed to spend 12 per cent of the first quarter’s infrastructure budget for the 2015/16 financial year, and although the term ends in March 2016, it is unlikely that this project will be completed as planned,” he further elaborated.

The chairperson emphasized that education is an important vehicle to ensure opportunities exist for the youth to empower themselves, yet the department is excluding learners form the opportunity for a better education.

“Under the ANC government, the doors of learning have become shut for learners with not enough classrooms and schools being built to provide accessible education to all learners,” Kubheka concluded.