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Massive damage was caused by the fire ... SGB chairperson Patrick Hlungwani says they cannot waste any more time.

“Schooling under the trees again...”

 

As schooling started last Tuesday in most of Malamulele for the first time this year, following a total shutdown, pupils and teachers at Malamulele High School turned up, but no teaching took place at the school because conditions have worsened at the school.

The school, which had problems before the shutdown, was torched during the mass shutdown and the police say they will rely on forensic evidence to determine what happened.

When teachers and pupils arrived, they found the situation was not favourable for learning.

This week, the situation changed with classes progressing, albeit at a slow pace, as pupils still do not have books and the teachers do not have a staff room.

The chairperson of the governing body, Mr Harry Hlungwani, said the administration block, which had been set alight, had harboured all the stationery and books. “In the same block were the toilets and staff room, and now our teachers have nowhere to relieve themselves. Pupils have no books, but we felt that we could not waste any more time. It is, however, difficult to have effective learning here under these conditions,” said Hlungwani.

Hlungwani said they had an appointment with the MEC for education, where issues relating to the school were to be discussed, but the meeting had to be postponed. “We will meet the MEC next week and it is only after the meeting that we will know our position,” said Hlungwani.

He added that, despite the problems, the school would continue with its work. “We just need mobile classrooms, and even before we get them, we will conduct lessons under the trees,” he added.

The burning of the school has also destroyed the computers and the principal has no office.

A pupil at the school, Edmore Chifadya (17), who is in Grade 11, said they were very happy that classes had started. “We have lost a lot of time, but given the chance, we will make the most of it. We are not going to disappoint our community. We just wish the government could resolve our problems by expediting the delivery of books, so that proper learning and teaching could take place,” he said.

Meanwhile, the situation has normalized in the town of Malamulele and business goes on as usual, with almost all the shops open for business.

News - Date: 27 February 2015

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SGB chairman Harry Hlungwani assesses the damage at the burnt-out administration block.

 

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Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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