Classes at Tshilogoni Secondary closed after Labor Department inspection
Pupils at Tshilogoni Secondary School in Nzelele, Limpopo, are sitting exams in an old carport and under trees, after many classrooms and the administration block were closed due to security concerns. This followed a prohibition notice issued by the Department of Employment and Labor following an inspection on May 26.
Inspectors found substantial cracks in several classroom blocks and declared them unsafe. Concerns were also raised over the deterioration of asbestos roofing sheets. Parts of schools were closed, causing hundreds of learners to miss classes during the examination period.
“Classroom blocks were closed while we were preparing for our June exams,” said Grade 12 student Asakundi Makhalimela. “Writing in the hut and under the trees is stressful, especially in the rainy season.”
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Established in 1983, Tshilogoni Secondary has 983 learners.
School governing body chairperson Selina Muthavahini said the school had been asking for help with infrastructure for years.
“We first applied in 2015 and requested ten mobile classrooms in 2023, but only received three second-hand units. Learners are now taking exams in a structure that was previously used as a car shelter. When it rains, it becomes a serious problem,” he said.
Muthavahini said some mobile classrooms were also in poor condition. “One unit is being used as a staff room and it leaks when it rains. The principal has to go to a store room and sometimes he uses his car as an office,” he said.
Limpopo education department spokesperson Mike Maringa said two additional mobile classrooms would be provided as a temporary measure.
He said the school remains on the priority list of the department but intervention has been delayed due to infrastructure backlog. Some buildings have been recommended for demolition, pending approval by a structural engineer.
According to the department, at least 11 mobile classrooms are to be made available after obtaining necessary approvals.
published with Limpopo Mirror