PARENTS and pupils are now breathing a sigh of relief after seven mobile classrooms were recently delivered to Ratseke Primary School in Ga-Ratseke Village, outside Bolobedu in Limpopo.
This after pupils were forced to learn outside, even in winter. as many of the classrooms had collapsed. and there were not enough mobile classrooms to accommodate all pupils.
The school has two blocks with four classrooms each. Six classrooms were damaged in 2015 by heavy rain, and pupils were left with only two classrooms.
Mobile classrooms were later delivered, but they were burnt last month. Daily Sun published a story about the school on Friday, 10 June, headlined: “Pupils forced to learn in the cold.”
The school was also shutdown for more than a week by parents.
Parents have welcomed the delivery of the mobile classrooms, but warned the Department of Education that hell will break loose if the promised classrooms weren’t built.
Parent Thomas Mohale (33) said: they are happy their children will no longer study in the cold.“We will be satisfied once we see the land that the department has chosen to build new classrooms being fenced. That will be proof that the classrooms will be built.”
A grade 4 pupil said: “We are no longer feeling the cold.” , but we will be happy once proper classrooms are built.”
Pupils are also delighted that they will stop learning in the cold and are now looking forward to going to school.
A Grade 5 pupil told the Sun Team they now feel safe. “We were fearing for our lives learning in those dilapidated buildings. We are now focusing on our studies rather than the cold,” she said.
Limpopo Education spokeswoman, Tidimalo Chuene, said they delivered the mobile classrooms so that pupils could continue learning. “New classrooms for the school will be constructed during the current financial year at a new site, where the school will be merged with Mahekgwe Primary School.”
“The current scope for new buildings include construction of classrooms, Grade R facilities, small administration block, fence and water and sanitation facilities,” she said.
