02 Apr 2017

There are no plans to construct special education classrooms nor are there plans to provide special facilities at Mahalapye Primary School for pupils with special needs due to budgetary constraints.

Assistant Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi said this in Parliament on behalf of the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.

Mr Moipisi also said there were no plans to construct accommodation hostels for students who came from outside Mahalapye Sub-District due to lack of funding and competing national priority needs.

On a similar issue, he said there was a 16-seats capacity mini bus designed to accommodate students who use wheel chairs together with other special needs, saying the mini bus transports children within Mahalapye locality only.

Meanwhile, Mr Moipisi said on successful completion of primary education, special education needs students could progress to secondary schools where there are special units designed to offer them access.

He also said depending on the type of disability, some learners would progress to facilities such as at Camphill, where they could develop skills for self-reliance such as woodwork and sewing.

Mahalapye West MP, Mr Joseph Molefhe had asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development if he was aware that the said school did not have special education facilities and if so, when would special education classrooms be constructed in the school.

He had also wanted to know what the curriculum development structure was for special needs students after completing primary level. ENDS