15 Feb 2018

Parliament was told that Parwe Junior Secondary School was established as a 12-stream school, but currently is operating with 18 streams and a short fall of six classrooms.

Assistant Minister of Basic Education, Mr Moiseraele Goya said when responding to a question in Parliament that his ministry was expecting six additional classrooms to be built during the financial year 2018/19.

He noted that funds for the maintenance of the science laboratories and for the purchasing of equipment would be dispersed in April.

Mr Goya said through the regional office, 15 000 students chairs had been ordered and the school benefit 100 from this consignment, adding that the school would fix desks and tables using the maintenance funds allocated to them.

He said that Parwe JSS had a computer laboratory, which has 25 functional computers, which were supplied in January 2016, only to be damaged by power surges and had since been replaced with donated machines.

He also said that the ministry would supply 50 mobile devices along with Wi-Fi technology in 2018/19 financial year as a further upgrade in the school.

Mr Goya said that all secondary schools were warranted funds on annual basis for the purpose of library books and for the replacement of furniture and this financial year, the school was allocated P8 200 for this purpose.

On the other hand, he said while the funds might not be adequate, they were meant to augment what was already available and the school was urged to improve its borrowing and recovery processes.

The assistant minister was answering a question from MP for Mahalapye West, Mr Joseph Molefhe, who had asked the minister if he was aware that Parwe JSS was constructed in 1984 as a 12-stream school and had grown up to 18 streams with no additional infrastructure and equipment.

He asked the minister when additional classrooms would be constructed to alleviate the shortfall of six classes being taught in school passages.

Mr Molefhe also wanted to know when the science laboratory would be equipped with the requisite laboratory instruments and water taps repaired.

Further, he asked when the school furniture and classroom equipment would be issued and the when the ICT laboratory would be constructed and computers repaired, and when the library would be furnished and issued with books. Ends