12 Jul 2017

Ntlo Ya Dikgosi has been informed that the number of pupils in Tsabong primary schools do not warrant construction of an additional primary school.

These schools have not reached the full enrollment capacity of 880 pupils per school as currently Tsabong Primary School has an enrolment of 787, Nhake Primary School has 490 and Seetelo Memorial Primary School has 452.

Answering a question from Kgosi David Toto II of Kgalagadi South region, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Frans van der Westhuizen said since a fully-fledged primary school had 22 classrooms, priority should be to address the backlog on shortage of classrooms, teachers quarters and toilet blocks in the existing primary schools.

He said for instance, Seetelo Memorial Primary School had a shortage of 12 classrooms, Tsabong Primary School had a shortfall of eight, while Nhake Primary School would have a short fall of eight. In the meantime, four classrooms will be constructed at Nhake primary during 2017/18 financial year. 

The ward in question is in close proximity to Seetelo School, which is easily accessible to them.

However, the minister said funds permitting, after clearing all the classrooms, toilet blocks and teachers’ quarters backlog, a new school could only be considered after maximum permissible enrolment capacity is reached, and it would be competing with other prioritised projects countrywide under the Backlog Eradication Programme.

Kgosi Toto had asked the minister if he would consider constructing another primary school in Matlhatlaganyane Ward in Tsabong to relieve the three primary schools that are already overwhelmed by the population of pupils in the same area. ENDs