The education department plans to repair the estimated R500 000 damages caused to the Mthatha Technical College by protesting pupils and resume teaching and learning by Tuesday.
This was revealed by Mthatha education department district director Temba Dyasi after visiting the school to assess the damage caused to the facility when pupils ran amok on Wednesday.
Pupils went on the rampage, setting the school’s bakkie alight breaking windows, damaging three computers and breaking doors at the school in protest at having to return technical drawing boards at the end of the year and paying for student cards.
In an interview yesterday, Dyasi said the cost of the damage caused to the facility was estimated at half a million rands.
He told the Daily Dispatch that they wanted the school to return to normal by Tuesday.
“There must be some teaching and learning because one day lost in school is one day too many,” said Dyasi.
Cleaning operations continued yesterday while education department infrastructure officials assessed the extent of the damage.
Dyasi met with school management and the school governing body (SGB) behind closed doors yesterday to try and get to the bottom of the issues.
It was resolved that a meeting involving parents, pupils, school management, SGB and education officials be called for Monday at 10am at the school.
SGB chairman Qinisile Mamfengu said they were hopeful after Monday’s meeting, there would not be any further destruction.
After the 10am meeting, pupils would be addressed by motivational speakers, Dyasi said.
Asked how they would fund the repairs to the school, Dyasi said that could be a challenge.
“But what can we do? The priority is teaching and learning. We must ensure that learners are back and administration is well positioned to ensure that the school is running.
“Education is a priority so we cannot delay at all. If the school does not have enough budget, obviously, we shall request the provincial office to fix all these windows,” he said.
Because drawing boards were part of stationery delivered to the school, pupils were not expected to pay for them before they are issued, Dyasi said.
“But like textbooks, they are supposed to return the drawing boards at the end of the year. The school ought to have a retrieval policy of learning materials inclusive of textbooks and study guides,” he said. — ndamasem@dispatch.co.za
R500 000 bill to repair trashed Mthatha college
This was revealed by Mthatha education department district director Temba Dyasi after visiting the school to assess the damage caused to the facility when pupils ran amok on Wednesday.
Pupils went on the rampage, setting the school’s bakkie alight breaking windows, damaging three computers and breaking doors at the school in protest at having to return technical drawing boards at the end of the year and paying for student cards.
In an interview yesterday, Dyasi said the cost of the damage caused to the facility was estimated at half a million rands.
He told the Daily Dispatch that they wanted the school to return to normal by Tuesday.
“There must be some teaching and learning because one day lost in school is one day too many,” said Dyasi.
Cleaning operations continued yesterday while education department infrastructure officials assessed the extent of the damage.
Dyasi met with school management and the school governing body (SGB) behind closed doors yesterday to try and get to the bottom of the issues.
It was resolved that a meeting involving parents, pupils, school management, SGB and education officials be called for Monday at 10am at the school.
SGB chairman Qinisile Mamfengu said they were hopeful after Monday’s meeting, there would not be any further destruction.
After the 10am meeting, pupils would be addressed by motivational speakers, Dyasi said.
Asked how they would fund the repairs to the school, Dyasi said that could be a challenge.
“But what can we do? The priority is teaching and learning. We must ensure that learners are back and administration is well positioned to ensure that the school is running.
“Education is a priority so we cannot delay at all. If the school does not have enough budget, obviously, we shall request the provincial office to fix all these windows,” he said.
Because drawing boards were part of stationery delivered to the school, pupils were not expected to pay for them before they are issued, Dyasi said.
“But like textbooks, they are supposed to return the drawing boards at the end of the year. The school ought to have a retrieval policy of learning materials inclusive of textbooks and study guides,” he said. — ndamasem@dispatch.co.za
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