Protest shuts down schools
Pupils boycott class to demand mobile classes
A Limpopo community has vowed to keep 27 schools closed amid demands for mobile classrooms to be delivered to the Machaka Robert Mamabolo Secondary School in GaMamabolo, east of Polokwane.
The disruption of learning in the area comes on the back of another ongoing shutdown in Vuwani which has affected 76 schools. Sowetan previously reported that Machaka pupils were forced to learn under trees after their building was damaged by a fire in December.
Congress of SA Students branch coordinator Piet Bopape said they closed schools in the area to encourage pupils to stand in solidarity with their peers at R M Machaka.
Bopape said parents and pupils at the school were disgruntled because the provincial department of education had failed to deliver mobile classrooms as promised.
“Our young brothers and sisters are attending (school) under trees. The department has violated the rights of learners so we thought it would be good to mobilise these schools. We’re sick and tired,” Bopape said.
Secretary for the school governing body Elizabeth Choenyane said the decision to mobilise other schools in the area was taken after meetings with parents and pupils.
Choenyane said they felt that this would push the department to deliver classrooms.
“We were advised that in order for the government to hear what we are saying, we must close all the schools in the Mamabolo circuit so that they can see that this is serious. The schools will be closed for as
We were advised to close all the schools for government to listen Elizabeth Choenyane SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY
long as the government does not deliver,” she said.
SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) chairman Abby Mogashoa said teachers might have to report to the circuit offices because of the shutdown.
“As Sadtu we are very much disturbed due to the revolt of the learners,” Mogashoa said.
“Our responsibility is to teach and the department’s responsibility is to deliver.”
Yesterday pupils from Tloukolobe Primary School could be seen playing outside the schoolyard. Provincial education spokesman Náledzani Rasila said mobile classrooms would be delivered to the school by tomorrow at the latest. He slammed the closing of schools as reckless.