Equip outskirt schools to ease burden on city – Governing bodies
Parents from the outskirts seemingly prefer schools in the city with the idea that although the education curriculum is the same everywhere they are far more resourced, however, city schools struggle to cater for these learners.
POLOKWANE – The newly allocated infrastructure development budget for Education in Limpopo should be spent in a way that equips public schools in townships and rural areas to avoid overpopulation in schools in the city, according to some local school governing bodies.
On top of the overall provincial expenditure of R80.4b, Treasury MEC Seaparo Sekoati announced the allocation of R1.486b for infrastructure development in education while tabling the 2023/24 financial year budget vote on March 7 in the Lebowakgomo legislative chambers.
The request comes as more learners from the outskirts seemingly prefer schools in the city, with the idea that although the education curriculum is the same everywhere, they are far more resourced, with basic amenities such as larger classrooms that contain more learners and permanent teachers readily available.
Read more: Construction of new schools in Polokwane prioritised
This, however is no longer the case, because schools in the city struggle to cater for these extra learners.
The Saviour Association of School Governing Bodies (SASGB) in Limpopo, says the infrastructure development budget must be used in areas such as Mankweng and Seshego to refurbish and extend classrooms, add quality furniture and strengthen extracurricular activities for learners, for the city to breathe a sigh of relief.
“The department and parents always complain about the feeder area issue but the truth is, there’s better quality of education in the city and that’s where parents will fight to take their children. Some even apply with addresses in the city belonging to their relatives and friends for the sake of a better education environment.”
“Parents have left villages for their children’s education because in some schools there, learners are still taught under trees and some lack simple things like proper ablution facilities, resulting in the use of pit latrines,” SASGB chairperson Adv Caiphus Moshutla says.
Moshutla says they are of the idea that, that is how the city will breathe off of the current overcrowding in schools of the city, although not entirely as it keeps expanding due to migration.
As a result, they are holding on to a promise by the department made in January that it would be extending the number of schools in the city, after the 2023 State of the Province Address and budget speech respectively.
Meanwhile, Polokwane Mayor John Mpe has expressed readiness to supply the building of more schools with needed services such as land, water and electricity once the department is ready to implement.
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Provincial departmental spokesperson, Mike Maringa said management will be sitting at a round table to discuss a plan of action in the extension of the city’s schools, following the budget allocation.
Some of the infrastructure budget will be directed to the eradication of old infrastructure in schools in all of the provincial districts to improve education, Maringa adds.
