Pupils at this primary school have to sit or lie on the floor during lessons because the school has not had furniture since it was established 24 years ago.
When Sowetan visited Makheala Primary School in Modjadjiskloof near Tzaneen, Limpopo this week, nine-year-old Collen Ramaano was amongpupils sitting on the dusty cement floor.
His back was uncomfortably arched over a book against the wall. In another classroom shared by grades two and three pupils, little girls and boys were lying on their stomachs balancing books on blocks of wood.
"I get tired and dirty from sitting on the floor. I don't like it," Collen said shyly.
Another Grade five pupil, Surprise Modika, 10, was leaning against the wall for support.
"We don't like having to write on the floor. We want tables and chairs," said Surprise.
A teacher, who has been at the school since its inception, told Sowetan classrooms stood empty after the building was erected in 1992 - until they started asking other schools to donate their old furniture to them.
The teacher said they made numerous requests for furniture from the provincial department of education but their situation remains unchanged.
"The learners are always fighting over the old, broken chairs. This is a problem because they write slowly, which takes up our lesson time," said the teacher.
Situated at the foot of the mountains of Modjadjiskloof, the school has 152 pupils, four classrooms and two pit toilet blocks.
The teacher said they previously asked parents to buy chairs, but they were too poor to do this. He said their situation was becoming more desperate as even the surrounding schools were running out of old furniture to share.
Another teacher said they felt neglected by the department. "Did you see how children are sitting on metal rods? Does it look like they will learn anything properly? No one is saying anything about our situation. Our government does not care about us," he said.
School governing body member Susan Masia said there was great concern that children were forced to learn under such harsh conditions. "How can you learn when you are in pain?," Masia asked.
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
Painful lessons in writing
Pupils at this primary school have to sit or lie on the floor during lessons because the school has not had furniture since it was established 24 years ago.
When Sowetan visited Makheala Primary School in Modjadjiskloof near Tzaneen, Limpopo this week, nine-year-old Collen Ramaano was amongpupils sitting on the dusty cement floor.
His back was uncomfortably arched over a book against the wall. In another classroom shared by grades two and three pupils, little girls and boys were lying on their stomachs balancing books on blocks of wood.
"I get tired and dirty from sitting on the floor. I don't like it," Collen said shyly.
Another Grade five pupil, Surprise Modika, 10, was leaning against the wall for support.
"We don't like having to write on the floor. We want tables and chairs," said Surprise.
A teacher, who has been at the school since its inception, told Sowetan classrooms stood empty after the building was erected in 1992 - until they started asking other schools to donate their old furniture to them.
The teacher said they made numerous requests for furniture from the provincial department of education but their situation remains unchanged.
"The learners are always fighting over the old, broken chairs. This is a problem because they write slowly, which takes up our lesson time," said the teacher.
Situated at the foot of the mountains of Modjadjiskloof, the school has 152 pupils, four classrooms and two pit toilet blocks.
The teacher said they previously asked parents to buy chairs, but they were too poor to do this. He said their situation was becoming more desperate as even the surrounding schools were running out of old furniture to share.
Another teacher said they felt neglected by the department. "Did you see how children are sitting on metal rods? Does it look like they will learn anything properly? No one is saying anything about our situation. Our government does not care about us," he said.
School governing body member Susan Masia said there was great concern that children were forced to learn under such harsh conditions. "How can you learn when you are in pain?," Masia asked.
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
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