10 Jun 2021

Minister of Basic Education, Mr Fidelis Molao has implored contractors engaged in the prefabricated classrooms’ project at Makalamabedi Junior Secondary School to put more effort in ensuring that the project is completed on time.

Mr Molao said this on Tuesday during a tour of the project, which was awarded to High End Investments and was expected to kick-start in February 2021, but failed due to COVID-19-related challenges.

In a move to address shortage of classrooms, the ministry, he said, came up with the plan to do prefabricated classrooms, as they could be done within a short space of time.

Mr Molao said most old schools were now incapacitated to cater for the increased number of pupils, adding that the ministry also wanted to maintain the number of pupils per class at 30 and below even after COVID-19.

He commended the school on its COVID-19 case management, saying ‘it has been a very difficult balancing act on whether schools should be closed to control the spread of COVID-19.”

He said the school community would be prioritised in the next round of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Further, he stated that the ministry was working on addressing issues of staff overstaying, saying they had been trying affirmative action on promotions in challenged areas.

Mr Molao said the strategy had however not worked in some areas, revealling that the ministry was working on a new organisational structure that would lead to a significant change in the way it operates.

The project contractor, Mr Shadrack Masego had earlier decried that COVID-19 movement restrictions had hindered work on the project since they sourced materials from outside.

Mr Masego stated that they had been given a 60-day contract from February to April 2021, but due to COVID-19 challenges, they requested a 70-day extension from May  to July 2021.

Meanwhile, the school head, Mr Galalea Ntshonga had stated that transfers in and out was a challenge as teachers refused to be posted to Makalamabedi JSS, leading to some teachers staying at the school for 13 to 14 years.

He expressed concern about the shortage of accommodation, saying there were 23 houses for a staff complement of 54, in the school of 531 pupils.

He said there was also congestion at the hostels accommodating 168 boys and 166 girls, leading to some pupils sharing beds, which arrangement was against COVID-19 protocols.

The chief education officer, Ms Milidzani Nduna promised that mattresses would be procured soon as students were not supposed to share beds, but said construction of staff houses would take time. ENDS