Sidlamafa learners back at school after mobile classes are installed
The school governing body says its main focus is making sure that the learners stay in school and that they are sheltered when they have their lessons.
Learning and teaching activities have resumed at Sidlamafa Secondary School after the Mpumalanga Department of Education (DoE) had delivered and installed some mobile classes on Wednesday January 24.
The learners returned to school on Monday January 29. This, after some parents had stopped their children from going to school, as they had to go without shelter there.
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“It is never pleasing to us as parents to have our children sit at home when their peers are continuing to learn at other schools. We are happy that the department has heeded to the call and delivered the classrooms for the learners, even though it took us resorting to drastic measures,” said the school governing body’s chairperson, Patric Hadebe.
He says even though the classrooms were installed, the issue of overcrowding is still standing. “There are 300 learners sharing four mobile classrooms, and even though they were installed, they still don’t have air conditioners. When we questioned the constructor about it, we were told there were two different orders from the department and that the air conditioners would be installed in a couple of weeks. We hope it happens sooner, because the classes are already overcrowded and the heat will only make it worse,” added Hadebe.
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The Mpumalanga DoE spokesperson, Gerald Sambo, says the department is aware of the issue of overcrowding and has already begun processes to address it. “We are fully aware of the pressure of overcrowding in some of the schools as well as admission-related challenges. To this end, a meeting of all principals and members of the school governing bodies of Bohlabela and Ehlanzeni districts was held on Tuesday January 9 to engage with them on such issues. In that meeting it was clearly stated that the department has a backlog on school infrastructure improvement, however, every effort is being made to accelerate due process. Regarding Sidlamafa Secondary School, mobile classrooms were ordered last year, they have since been delivered and assembled,” he said.
