Farmer refuse school to build more classes

eMBALENHLE – Roodebank Combined School has problem with the building of extra classes for their pupils.

The school that was established in 1946 to cater for children of farm workers, needs more classrooms.

Organisations and private businesses promised to help the school after the publication by the Ridge Times of pupils using bricks as chairs.

The Department of Education supplied the school with new furniture and books and the pupils could not hold back their excitement after receiving them.

Pupils now hope to have new classrooms because different grades share classrooms.

There is a foundation which was started, but never finished because of the lack of money.

The school teachers also do not have an office and no store room for books and stationery.

The people who grew up on Roodebank farm said, their parents (farm workers) built the school themselves and they had to sell some of their livestock to get money to build it.

Though different organisations and business owners want to join hands in building extra classes and an admin building for the teachers, the farm owner is adamant that he is not going to allow any new structure to be build on his farm.

Mr Jan Wessels, owner, said the school was built by farm owners to help their children access to education.

“There was no legal agreement between myself and the Department of Education and my lawyers will initiate a meeting between us to have a memorandum of understanding on the operation of the school since it is on my land,” said Mr Wessels.

Mr Wessels said he does not have a problem with children getting educated, but building more classes means having more pupils for the school and the farm is meant for agriculture.

The school principal did not want to comment and referred Ridge Times to the provincial Department of Education.

Mr Jasper Zwane, spokesman of the Mpumalanga Department of Education, said the information they have at their disposal is that the previous farm owner donated the land on which the school has been constructed, to the department hence there is currently no agreement with the current owner.

“However, the department appreciates the willingness of the currently farm owner to discuss this matter to ensure shared understanding and working together.

“For this reason, a meeting is scheduled to take place in due course to forge a common approach to the whole issue.

“The department is confident that the envisaged meeting will resolve all grey areas in the best interest of learning and teaching practice.”

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