28 Mar 2019

Minister of Basic Education, Mr Bagalatia Arone says the delay in repairing a science laboratory at Ithuteng Junior Secondary School is attributed to protracted litigation process involving the project.

Mr Arone said the ministry in 2014 engaged a specialist company to decontaminate and renovate the laboratory, but the company abandoned the project, which resulted in a protracted litigation.

He however told Parliament that both laboratories in the school were undergoing preventive maintenance and the company was just about to complete the works.

“My ministry expects the school to be able to use the laboratory in May,” he said.

He noted that he was aware that Ithuteng JSS had been without a laboratory since 2008.

He however stated that the laboratory was not burnt, but was contaminated with chemicals.

The minister further admitted that the pupils had not been doing well due to the fact that one of the laboratories was dysfunctional.

He however noted that the other laboratory had been functional at all times and teachers had shown initiative to even conduct some science experiments in the standard classrooms.

Mochudi West MP, Mr Gilbert Mangole had asked the minister if he was aware that Ithuteng JSS had been without a science laboratory since it was destroyed by fire in 2008.

He further wanted to know why it had taken 10 years to repair the laboratory, how science students had coped during the examinations for the past 10 years and when government intended to restore the facility for use by the school. Ends