27 Jun 2018

The South East district is experiencing low enrollment figures from primary school to senior secondary school level.

However, according to an extensive district development report, some individual schools are reportedly overcrowded while others are underutilised.

The report shows that at primary level, all schools are under-subscribed except St Joseph’s Primary School, which is oversubscribed.

It also shows that junior secondary schools in the district are under-subscribed with 3 738 against a capacity of 4 930 enrolment.

However, it shows that Tlokweng JSS is the only oversubscribed school having exceeded its capacity in Form One classes.

In the senior school category, the district boasts of three senior secondary schools in St Joseph’s College, Kagiso SSS as well as Moeding College with a capacity of 4 880.

The report, however, shows that all the schools, except St Joseph’s College, are under-subscribed. In terms of school dropouts, the report shows that only one student had dropped out at Botsalano Primary School in Tlokweng owing to lack of interest in education in the previous financial year.

The report further shows that at junior level, six students, four males and two females from Tlokweng and Matlala JSS, dropped out of school due to lack of interest and pregnancy respectively.

Meanwhile, the report has indicated shortage of textbooks as one of the major challenges facing various schools.

It shows that textbooks availability is at 49.4 per cent and 49 per cent at primary and junior secondary schools, respectively, mainly due to shortage of funds while students also failed to return books loaned to them.

However, the report says parents are being engaged to replace lost books as well as assist in returning textbooks to schools.

It further says availability of stationery at primary schools stood at 87.7 per cent while shortage of stationery in South East South, especially for CAPA, also due to budgetary constraints is worrisome.

It further states that the budget for stationery has, however, been increased in the current financial year to address shortfall experienced in the previous financial year.

Under the feeding programme, the report shows that all the 19 primary schools in the district have been supplied with bread, peanut butter or jam, milk, sorghum, beef, beans and samp.

It says funds for procurement of agricultural produce in the current financial year have been disbursed to all schools and supply is ongoing. ENDS