Strong winds damaged classrooms at 20 North West Province schools, while officials warned that the number could rise when principals report further damage on Monday.
The North West Education Department spokesperson, Dr Elias Malindi, said the number of schools damaged is expected to increase following reports that principals will submit directly when they arrive at their respective schools on Monday.
Malindi said the department would dispatch its infrastructure teams to assess the extent of the damage and determine alternative measures to ensure that teaching and learning are not disrupted at the affected schools.
‘Adding salt to an open wound’
Malindi described the damage reports as “adding salt to an open wound”. He said the department is already reeling from the pain of losing three schools to a fire.
“The department has been picking up the pieces and working to intervene at schools affected by the fires. Now, the storms have wreaked havoc on the remaining schools, adding further pressure to the already strained departmental infrastructure,” he said.
The MEC for Education, Dr Desbo Mohono, said the immediate priority is to assess the extent of the damage, ensure the safety of learners and educators, and put measures in place to minimise disruptions to teaching and learning.
“We are working closely with relevant stakeholders and disaster management teams to respond to the affected schools and ensure that the necessary interventions are implemented as urgently as possible. We understand the impact this situation has on our school communities, and we will continue doing everything within our means to support the affected schools,” Mohono said.
The department said schools in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District, Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, Bojanala District and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District were affected.
Mobile classroom set alight
A mobile classroom at Phakisang Primary School was burnt on August 29. The department said the general assistant received a call informing him that the school was on fire. Upon arriving at the school, he found books stored in a mobile classroom were on fire.
In addition, a tyre and plastic hosepipes were found burning underneath two other mobile classrooms. The fire was extinguished before it could spread and cause further damage to the school infrastructure.
The department also reported that two schools were burnt in the Bojanala District, severely affecting the department’s infrastructure and its ability to provide conducive learning environments.
