The children now have proper classrooms after the Limpopo Department of Education finally renovated the school and built new ones. Mphagane Primary was one of the first schools set alight by angry residents in the Vuwani area during protest action in 2016. Parents burnt down about 28 schools after the government refused to reverse a decision to incorporate their villages into the recently established Vhembe municipal district.
“As parents we are pleased that the government has finally built new classrooms for our children. It was painful seeing little kids having to attend their lessons in open spaces and buildings which were falling down. We hope that next time there are protests they will not burn schools, as it negatively affects our children’s education,” said Jonas Mugovhani, who lives next to the school.
He added: “Burning schools is like saying we do not want to see our children being educated one day. Those kids were forced to attend lessons in buildings which pose a danger to them due to the damaged walls. After the school was burnt and during winter they were continuously exposed to the cold.” Last year learners in the Vuwani area missed months of school due to continuous demarcation protests in the area.
“We are very happy that the new classrooms are much safer than the previous ones. We just wish and hope that the school does not get burnt again during protests. This school is one of the easily accessible primary schools for our village as it is situated next to the main road,” said Mavis Mbumbane.
Mphagane Primary caters for children from Grade R up to Grade 7 and is attended by hundreds of learners in the Mashau village area.
The Provincial Department of Education has since pleaded with parents to protect schools within their communities.
“We are saying to the parents they must protect the school as if it is their own property. They must refrain from burning schools during protest action, because it is the children who are negatively impacted,” said the department spokesperson Sam Makondo. He said the department would continue to renovate dilapidated and damaged schools within the province. - Health-e News.