Two schools in the Free State have been forced to close due to substandard infrastructure after they were declared unsafe by labour inspectors.
The schools were shut down on Friday.
Classes at Matla Primary School in Bloemfontein were suspended when the inspectors found that the school kitchen, bathrooms for pupils and some classrooms did not comply with occupational health and safety requirements.
Another school in Ladybrand, St Benedict Primary School, was also shut down.
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in the Free State said some schools had been closed at the beginning of the year due to related problems.
“The closure of these schools is concerning because the problem could spread to other schools facing similar infrastructure issues,” it said
The teachers’ union said the closure is already affecting teaching and learning. “Teachers are often expected to make up for lost time through extra classes even though the delays are not their fault,” the union said.
Sadtu said it has raised concerns about poor infrastructure in schools during meetings with senior officials in the provincial department of education.
It also called on the provincial MEC and the department of education head to urgently assess schools with infrastructure challenges and speed up repairs.
TimesLIVE
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