adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
THE Provincial Education Director for Matabeleland South Province has implored partners to eliminate the harsh learning conditions which rural children were exposed to and not rely only on Government’s intervention. Speaking during a donation of building material and stationery to Valukhalo Secondary School in Empandeni area, Mangwe by the General Foundation Apostolic Church in Christ, Mrs Tumisang Thabela said pupils were not expected to be learning in the open air while service providers and community members could intervene.
The church donated 100 bags of cement and stationery worth P140 000 to the school which was officially opened in January last year.
The school which has an enrolment of 281 pupils only has two classrooms and is facing furniture challenges. As a result some of the pupils learn from a community hall while others learn from outside.
“All schools should become centres of quality of education so that each community can produce graduates that are relevant to the employment industry. This will be however, impossible given the harsh conditions that pupils are exposed to.
“It is up to partners, various institutions and communities to ensure that children have access to quality education,” she said.
Mrs Thabela said relevant partners had to address nutritional challenges faced by schoolchildren at their homes.
She said law enforcement agents had to put in place measures to ensure the safety and protection of children both within and outside the school environment.
“There are children who are underprivileged and they cannot concentrate on their studies on an empty stomach. The safety of pupils should also be reinforced and they should also get the appropriate psychosocial support they need,” she said.
Mrs Thabela said children also deserved access to adequate learning material, water and sanitation services and proper learning infrastructure.
She urged communities to follow correct procedures when introducing new schools.
“The standards set by Ministry state that a primary school pupil should not walk more than five kilometres to get to school while secondary pupils should not travel more than 10 kilometres.
“Therefore if the distance permits it is a good initiative for communities to establish new schools but this should be done with the knowledge of the Ministry and there has to be proper co-ordination so that we can appreciate what partners are doing,” she said.
The school’s headmistress, Ms Region Dube revealed that the learning process was difficult for pupils and teachers at the school.
She said the school was overwhelmed as the enrolment was increasing as the area did not have another secondary school with school fees affordable to the local community.
Ms Dube said as a result some children were learning under trees.
She said since the school opened in 2013 it had recorded a 70 percent increase in enrolment.
Ms Dube said the teaching staff at the school did not have accommodation and as a result some teachers were housed by community members while others stayed at Empandeni Primary which is located two kilometres away.
“Our school does not have furniture as we are using benches and desks that we borrowed from Empandeni Primary School but it is not enough. The school does not have text books in a number of subjects and we are failing to offer ICT studies because of resource constraints,” she said.
She appealed to well-wishers to help to improve learning conditions for the pupils.
A spiritual leader and founder of the General Foundation Apostolic Church in Christ, Doctor Francis Jinoti Moyo pledged to assist the school with 20 shovels and 20 picks.
Online Reporter