Shakaskraal Secondary School is to be converted into an agricultural high school to cater to the Ilembe region.
The department of agriculture and rural development has invested R1.5 million to kick-start the project.
Agriculture committee chairman, Sunjay Bodasing said within three to four years the school was aiming to cater for aquaculture, have a boiler house, layer house, dairy, piggery, three greenhouses and crop and orchard farming.
The school will be one of the five in the province that will provide training to pupils who want to take agriculture as a career. The first group of pupils will be writing matric exams this year.
Contractors are busy clearing bush and fencing the 12.5 hectares school farm. The department of education is negotiating with landowners for more land, and a hostel for 300 pupils is planned.
“The curriculum will be more practical than theory, so the hostel will allow pupils to stay over whenever they need to be on the farm in the early hours. Transport and accommodation will not be an excuse for those not attending training on time,” said Bodasing.
Courses offered will include agricultural science, agricultural management practice and agricultural technology, from grade eight.
School governing body chairperson, Vishnugopal Govender said parents are excited about the development of the school.
“As SGB and school management we are calling pupils from Ilembe region and beyond who are interested in agriculture to come and register.”
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