“However, this is only a temporary solution and does little to address the challenges faced by the school. For more than a decade, Mbandleni Primary School has been promised a proper school building, but no action has been taken to fulfil this promise.
“The government cannot continue to prioritise only matric pass rates while neglecting the foundational stages of education in primary schools. The focus must shift from quantity to quality, as the quality of primary education directly informs the performance and outcomes at the high school level,” said Mncwango.
School governing body treasurer Mbongeni Dlamini urged the department to build a proper school for their children.
“Our children are suffering when it is raining or cold because the roof at the school is leaking and has broken windows.”
Dlamini said a pupil broke his leg last year when he was trying run away after seeing a snake at the school.
Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi didn't respond to queries.
TimesLIVE
Children deserve better than mobile classrooms and snakes, says ActionSA KZN leader Mncwango
Image: Supplied
ActionSA KwaZulu-Natal leader Zwakele Mncwango has called for action to address the “appalling conditions” at Mbandleni Primary School in Nongoma.
After a visit to the school in northern KwaZulu-Natal, Mncwango said the state of the facility was unacceptable and the department failed to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for pupils and teachers.
The school was opened in 2011 with only mobile classrooms.
Despite additional mobile units being added in 2012 and 2015 its condition remains dire, said Mncwango.
“These mobile classrooms are plagued by numerous challenges, including extreme heat and cold due to tin roofs and that the school’s location in a bushy area frequently attracts snakes and other reptiles endangering the safety of learners and teachers.”
Parents, with their limited resources, sealed classroom floors with cement to prevent snakes entering.
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“However, this is only a temporary solution and does little to address the challenges faced by the school. For more than a decade, Mbandleni Primary School has been promised a proper school building, but no action has been taken to fulfil this promise.
“The government cannot continue to prioritise only matric pass rates while neglecting the foundational stages of education in primary schools. The focus must shift from quantity to quality, as the quality of primary education directly informs the performance and outcomes at the high school level,” said Mncwango.
School governing body treasurer Mbongeni Dlamini urged the department to build a proper school for their children.
“Our children are suffering when it is raining or cold because the roof at the school is leaking and has broken windows.”
Dlamini said a pupil broke his leg last year when he was trying run away after seeing a snake at the school.
Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi didn't respond to queries.
TimesLIVE
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