They said over the years, the school has been falling apart and poses a danger to their children.
“We have been complaining about the structure of the school which poses a danger to the children but we have not been listened to,” said parent Germs Ngwamba.
“Last year, the department told parents from Driekopies Combined School to move their children at primary level and register them at Magubha. We raised the issue about the structure and overcrowding [at Magubha] and the department said they will bring mobile classes before January this year.
“To our surprise, when schools reopened in January, we did not get any mobile classrooms and the number of pupils per class increased. We thought the department was working on a plan about these issues but months went by without any feedback.
“In July, we decided to act and closed the school,” said Ngwamba.
Sipho Shongwe, whose son goes to Joseph Matsebula Secondary, told Sowetan that after seeing pupils from Magubha Primary not going to school, they decided to join the protest.
“In Driekoppies, we are one. You can’t have other children going to school while others are not. We decided to close all the schools because we want the problems at Magubha to be fixed,” Shongwe said.
He said he attended school at Magubha and could not let the school which “our parents built without the help of government become a death trap for our children”.
Nkululeko Nkosi, whose son goes to Magubha, said she would rather have her child stay at home that go learn in an unsafe building.
“I can’t lose a child to that building. It could fall any time and I can’t afford to take that risk that’s why I joined the parents to picket and close the school. I know my child has lost a lot in learning since July 18 but he will catch up.
“We did this for the safety of our children,” said Nkosi.
Department spokesperson Jasper Zwane said the department is aware of the infrastructure challenges and shut down, adding that the department was working about the clock to restore teaching and learning.
“A structural assessment was conducted and planning to replace the dilapidated structures has commenced. The school has since received Enviro loo in 2022/23. The department informed the school governing body (SGB) that four mobile classes will be delivered to the school as soon as possible to alleviate the pressure.
“However, it is sad that the SGB or some members are rejecting that offer and are demanding 19 mobile classes. The department has started a process towards the complete rehabilitation of the school which will include planning and design, allocation of the budget and subsequently construction,” said Zwane.
He urged parents to co-operate with the department and allow children to go back to school as they were missing out on a lot of schoolwork.
The Human Rights Commission's Emmanuel Nkonde said they would investigate.
A teacher at Magubha said a class which used to have 50 pupils had more than doubled in number.
“Now I have to teach 118 learners and that’s very hard. You cannot monitor or teach well because they are too many. Some make noise, others misbehave while other sleep,” said the teacher, adding that he understood the parents' frustration.
“But, it pains me to wake up every morning and stand at the gate which is locked and go back home. Our pupils are losing out on learning but it's for the good.”
Another teacher said some grades were accommodated in one class due to lack of space.
“A hall is divided only by cardboards [to accommodate grades 6 on one side and grades 1 on the other. Grade 1s make noise and sing. So the fact is we find it hard to teach. It’s hard and I can’t cope.”
Driekoppies SGB chairperson Mafika Lubisi said it was wrong that children were being barred from going to school, adding that he hoped the matter would be resolved soon.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
Parents keep 4000 pupils away from school for a month
Driekoppies community demands one school to be repaired
Image: Mandla Khoza
Thousands of pupils from four schools in Driekoppies, Mpumalanga, have been stopped from attending classes since July by their parents in protest over poor infrastructure at one of the schools.
Today, exactly a month since the third term started on July 18, more than 4,000 pupils from the village in Malelane, stayed away.
Parents told Sowetan that the shutdown was in solidarity with nearly 1,000 pupils from Magubha primary who have not been attending school as their parents feared for their lives as their classrooms were old, had cracks and posed a danger to the pupils' lives.
The other three schools are Driekoppies Combined, Bukhosibetfu Inclusive and Joseph Matsebula Secondary.
The provincial department of education says a recovery plan will only be developed once the pupils are allowed to go back to class.
Parents have accused the department of neglecting Magubha which they said was built by the community in 1970.
Image: Mandla Khoza
They said over the years, the school has been falling apart and poses a danger to their children.
“We have been complaining about the structure of the school which poses a danger to the children but we have not been listened to,” said parent Germs Ngwamba.
“Last year, the department told parents from Driekopies Combined School to move their children at primary level and register them at Magubha. We raised the issue about the structure and overcrowding [at Magubha] and the department said they will bring mobile classes before January this year.
“To our surprise, when schools reopened in January, we did not get any mobile classrooms and the number of pupils per class increased. We thought the department was working on a plan about these issues but months went by without any feedback.
“In July, we decided to act and closed the school,” said Ngwamba.
Sipho Shongwe, whose son goes to Joseph Matsebula Secondary, told Sowetan that after seeing pupils from Magubha Primary not going to school, they decided to join the protest.
“In Driekoppies, we are one. You can’t have other children going to school while others are not. We decided to close all the schools because we want the problems at Magubha to be fixed,” Shongwe said.
He said he attended school at Magubha and could not let the school which “our parents built without the help of government become a death trap for our children”.
Nkululeko Nkosi, whose son goes to Magubha, said she would rather have her child stay at home that go learn in an unsafe building.
“I can’t lose a child to that building. It could fall any time and I can’t afford to take that risk that’s why I joined the parents to picket and close the school. I know my child has lost a lot in learning since July 18 but he will catch up.
“We did this for the safety of our children,” said Nkosi.
Department spokesperson Jasper Zwane said the department is aware of the infrastructure challenges and shut down, adding that the department was working about the clock to restore teaching and learning.
“A structural assessment was conducted and planning to replace the dilapidated structures has commenced. The school has since received Enviro loo in 2022/23. The department informed the school governing body (SGB) that four mobile classes will be delivered to the school as soon as possible to alleviate the pressure.
“However, it is sad that the SGB or some members are rejecting that offer and are demanding 19 mobile classes. The department has started a process towards the complete rehabilitation of the school which will include planning and design, allocation of the budget and subsequently construction,” said Zwane.
He urged parents to co-operate with the department and allow children to go back to school as they were missing out on a lot of schoolwork.
The Human Rights Commission's Emmanuel Nkonde said they would investigate.
A teacher at Magubha said a class which used to have 50 pupils had more than doubled in number.
“Now I have to teach 118 learners and that’s very hard. You cannot monitor or teach well because they are too many. Some make noise, others misbehave while other sleep,” said the teacher, adding that he understood the parents' frustration.
“But, it pains me to wake up every morning and stand at the gate which is locked and go back home. Our pupils are losing out on learning but it's for the good.”
Another teacher said some grades were accommodated in one class due to lack of space.
“A hall is divided only by cardboards [to accommodate grades 6 on one side and grades 1 on the other. Grade 1s make noise and sing. So the fact is we find it hard to teach. It’s hard and I can’t cope.”
Driekoppies SGB chairperson Mafika Lubisi said it was wrong that children were being barred from going to school, adding that he hoped the matter would be resolved soon.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
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