They learn their ABCs outside

Learners at Beitbridge Primary School in Vhembe district are being taught under the trees due to a shortage of classrooms.

DA Limpopo leader, Jacques Smalle said the situation at Beitbridge Primary School was so deplorable that education MEC Dikeledi Magadzi should prioritise the school in this financial year’s infrastructure budget.

“The school has 1 357 learners who all have to be accommodated in the 12 classrooms that the school has. Gr. R learners numbering 140 in total are all squeezed in one classroom. Some classes are overcrowded beyond imagination,” said Smalle.

“The gr. 1s have three classes, one class is taught in a mobile classroom and the other two are taught outside. Gr. 3 has six classes and five of them get their education in the school field.

“This untenable situation is the same for all other grades; there is only one classroom for a grade and the rest of the learners must be taught outside,” he said.

“In some cases where there are two classes outside; a van is used to divide them. The teachers have no staff room and have to endure doing all their administrative duties on the floor outside the classrooms. We commend the teachers on their commitment in the face of such hardships. The members of public just walk by in the school premises as these learners are being taught. The school also has no fence.

“There is currently R997 million budgeted for this financial year for infrastructure and yet learners have to endure these conditions. We challenge MEC Magadzi to visit this school herself and explain how, in these cold weather conditions, learners have to be taught in these conditions.

“The DA takes the education of our learners very seriously and we will continue to bring these violations of their rights to the fore. Education is the only guarantee with which a person can make a better life for themselves,” Smalle said.

Education spokesperson, Phuti Seloba said the contractor was about to go on site to build 16 classrooms and a block with 26 toilets. “Next year we are going to build eight classrooms and an admin block. We are on top of the problem and we are bringing services to the people. We have invested R15,5 million in the project. We know the problems and they will be solved,” Seloba promised.