Elisha Molefe

Elisha Molefe

Doornlaagte Combined School in the remote village of Moselapetlwa, more than 100km from Zeerust in North West, is probably the worst school in the country.

All the 15 Grade 12 pupils who sat for the inaugural national senior certificate last year failed.

They are among 241 pupils, including grade 10s and 11s, who failed their final examinations.

The poor results are attributed to various obstacles, including late-coming by both pupils and teachers.

The overriding problem is the lack of public transport. Teachers have said it was not uncommon for pupils to arrive an hour before school ended, only to thumb lifts back home.

Parents and pupils have blamed the North West department of education. "How can the department expect us to do well while teachers spend only an hour a day teaching?" said Lindiwe Molefe, a pupil who failed Grade 12.

Ntebaleng Seakantwa, 25, a villager and former pupil, said teachers should be given accommodation at Moselapetlwa, but a teacher, who spoke to Sowetan on condition of anonymity, said: "The water here is undrinkable and there is no electricity, neither are there shops nor clinics."

Another problem was that Grade 12 pupils had changed schools three times during the year.

Doornlaagte school governing member Sylvia Molefe said the department's response to the transport problem was "too little too late".

"MEC Johannes Tselapedi should have responded when we told him teachers arrived late."

Education spokesman Charles Raseala said yesterday: "We are going to move grades 10 to 12 pupils to Moetwel Secondary . They will be given free accommodation, food and uniforms."

He said an expert team from the department would meet Tselapedi on Monday to discuss schools that performed badly to devise a plan to improve the situation.