Broken-down school ‘dangerous’

BROKEN door handles, leaky roofs and collapsing ceilings are the dire conditions pupils at the Sedibeng Special School in Lephalale, Limpopo, live with.

The school has a total enrolment of 98 pupils and eight teachers, including the principal.

Sedibeng, which caters for deaf and intellectually-impaired pupils, has been described as a health hazard by teachers.

They said the school in Lephalale’s suburb of Onverwacht is unsafe and resembled a pigsty.

The teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, referred to the school as a “mud bath” .

The building is surrounded by muddy waters with an unbearable stench that was worsened by the recent heavy rains.

The walls have cracked, with the buildings threatening to collapse.

Boys and girls use the same hostels for sleeping because of a lack of facilities.

“We feel neglected by the provincial department of education because we have informed authorities several times without getting any help,” said one teacher

Approached for comment yesterday, provincial education department spokesman Naledzani Rasila said they had already assessed the situation at the school.

“I can confirm that we are aware of the situation at that school. When resources and infrastructure plan allow, there will be some work done at the school,” said Rasila.