Court orders state to provide classes for Limpopo school
Judgment hailed as victory for learners
A Limpopo High Court judgment ordering the provincial department of education to build classrooms for a school which has been holding classes under a tree has been hailed as a major victory for learners.
Section27 spokeswoman Zukiswa Pikoli said the group welcomed the ruling.
“We are indebted to [high court Judge Gerrit Muller] for the judgment that is in the best interests of the children of Limpopo. It’s a huge victory for Makangwane Secondary School in the rural village of Non Parella,” she said.
School governing body chairman Jess Ngoepe said they welcomed the judgment delivered yesterday and hoped mobile classrooms would be delivered as soon as possible.
“We are happy with the ruling because our children are subjected to unsafe conditions at the school. We have called on every learner at the school not to go on school holidays in order to catch up,” Ngoepe said.
This was after Muller ordered the department to put in place short-term measures to allow proper learning to resume by the start of the third school term next month.
“These measures must include the delivery of at least five mobile classrooms, adequate school furniture to allow learners to have their own space to read and write by no later than July 16,” he said.
Department spokesman Sam Makondo said they were studying the judgment.
Muller has further ordered the department to formulate and implement a fully funded catch-up plan in consultation with Section27 attorneys.
“The catch-up plan must be implemented in full in respect of matric learners prior to the commencement of the preliminary examinations, and other learners prior to the commencement of their end of year exams. The department is directed to engage fully with Section27 on a permanent solution to the inadequate facilities at Makangwane, and to formulate and begin an implementation plan to give effect to this solution by no later than September 30.”
The advocacy group had brought the urgent court application to ensure that learners were no longer taught under trees after classrooms were blown away in January.