Parents have brought schooling to halt and burnt tyres outside a school in Kanana village in Moletji‚ Limpopo.

They are demanding that government deliver on a promise made five years ago that a secondary school would be built for their children.

Pupils of the Sekete Secondary School do not have a school of their own. All 113 pupils at the school are squatting at the local primary school to get lessons.

In 2011‚ the department had assured the community that an amount of R4.8-million was set aside for the building of a secondary school. But the money has not been forthcoming‚ parents say.

Pupils are using two rooms built by the community and two classrooms at the Kanana Primary School to attend lessons. They use worn-out furniture while some of the pupils have brought chairs from their homes to sit inside classrooms. Others use their laps to write their schoolwork during lessons.

The protest was sparked by information that a contractor would be on site from Monday next week to construct toilets meant for the secondary school pupils — inside the primary school premises.

Community activist Hildah Rakgatle said they did not understand why the department would build toilets for the secondary school pupils inside the primary school premises.

“Does the department expect our children to attend classes inside those toilets?” asked an angry Rakgatle.

She said they wanted mobile classrooms to be provided for their children as a temporary measure while steps were taken to trace the funds and begin construction of the new secondary school.

Department spokesman Naledzani Rasila said: “The school will be built in the course of this financial year‚ where 10 classrooms‚ a multi-purpose room and a nutrition centre will be erected.”

- TMG Digital/Sowetan