Pupils at an Eastern Cape high school are forced to sit outside while others continue with their studies inside due to a shortage of classes.
This is a daily occurrence at Zolani High School in Whittlesea, which falls under the Queenstown education district.
Although three classes for grades 8 and 9 and an administration office were rebuilt by the department in 2008, no library, computer lab, kitchen or laboratory facilities were constructed.
Last year the school was upgraded from a junior secondary school to a high school after pupils from another local school were moved to it.
This formed part of government’s plans to close down schools with low numbers of pupils.
As a result, the number of pupils at Zolani increased to 521.
Principal Nyameko Ndamane said pupils were crammed into classes because no additional facilities had been provided for grades 10, 11 and 12.
“We have to let other grades go outside during study time so that we can accommodate others.”
Help could be on the horizon after the school was included on a list of 225 schools set to benefit from government’s Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Development Initiative (Asidi).
The list was tabled by Department of Basic Education (DBE) officials at a portfolio committee meeting in parliament last month.
During the discussions, the department said not all schools on the list would benefit this financial year because of ongoing consultations over mergers.
DBE spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department had finalised the names of 105 schools where the work would begin.
The Daily Dispatch requested the list but it had not been received at the time of writing.
Mhlanga said: “These schools will be allocated to implementing agents for planning, design and procurement in the current financial year.
“Construction is envisaged to start in the next financial year.”
At another school in Butterworth, Jericho Senior Primary, which is also on the list of 225, principal Nomahlubi Yozi said they had been waiting for new classrooms since 2008.
“We are still teaching in prefabs,” she said.
The schools has 69 pupils and two teachers, including Yozi. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
Pupils left out in the cold in wake of school merger
This is a daily occurrence at Zolani High School in Whittlesea, which falls under the Queenstown education district.
Although three classes for grades 8 and 9 and an administration office were rebuilt by the department in 2008, no library, computer lab, kitchen or laboratory facilities were constructed.
Last year the school was upgraded from a junior secondary school to a high school after pupils from another local school were moved to it.
This formed part of government’s plans to close down schools with low numbers of pupils.
As a result, the number of pupils at Zolani increased to 521.
Principal Nyameko Ndamane said pupils were crammed into classes because no additional facilities had been provided for grades 10, 11 and 12.
“We have to let other grades go outside during study time so that we can accommodate others.”
Help could be on the horizon after the school was included on a list of 225 schools set to benefit from government’s Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Development Initiative (Asidi).
The list was tabled by Department of Basic Education (DBE) officials at a portfolio committee meeting in parliament last month.
During the discussions, the department said not all schools on the list would benefit this financial year because of ongoing consultations over mergers.
DBE spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department had finalised the names of 105 schools where the work would begin.
The Daily Dispatch requested the list but it had not been received at the time of writing.
Mhlanga said: “These schools will be allocated to implementing agents for planning, design and procurement in the current financial year.
“Construction is envisaged to start in the next financial year.”
At another school in Butterworth, Jericho Senior Primary, which is also on the list of 225, principal Nomahlubi Yozi said they had been waiting for new classrooms since 2008.
“We are still teaching in prefabs,” she said.
The schools has 69 pupils and two teachers, including Yozi. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
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