Some of the neglegted buildings at Setotolwane Eslen Secondary School. 010911 Picture: Moloko Moloto Some of the neglegted buildings at Setotolwane Eslen Secondary School. 010911 Picture: Moloko Moloto
MOLOKO MOLOTO
PUPILS at a secondary school in Limpopo for those with special needs face a bleak future, unless the authorities make good on their promises over the years.
Teachers at the Setotolwane Elsen Secondary School for the deaf and blind had another chance yesterday to voice their frustration at hearings conducted by the provincial legislature’s education portfolio committee.
The committee, headed by chairman George Mashamba, had visited the troubled school to assess teaching and living conditions. It heard that the school had not had a permanent principal since its founding in 2000. Acting principal Dipolelo Tema told the committee that the current two deputy principals and one head of the department were acting in their positions.
“Out of the 16 sign-language teachers, less than five of them have formal training in sign language,” said Tema.
He said the school lacked basic study material such as books. The school, which has 286 pupils enrolled for the current academic year, has two printers for the whole school and 29 Braille machines for totally blind learners in grades 8 to 12. Since the school was established 11 years ago, no deaf pupil has passed matric.
All the matrics at the school are either blind or partially sighted.
The school is located in old buildings that used to belong to the former Setotolwane teachers’ training college. The institution’s doors and window panes are broken.
There had been no security for many years until an exposé by The Star in January. But even now, there is no security at the boys’ residences. Tema told the committee that the Department of Education was intent on withdrawing security personnel.
Pupils have no warm water in their residences. Tema said this was making it difficult to enforce discipline and that the provincial Education Department had been fully aware of these problems for many years.
Department spokesman Pat Kgomo admitted they were aware of the problems. He said the department had set aside R47 million to construct a new school at Setotolwane.
In the meantime, Setotolwane would be relocated to Hwibi Secondary School in Mankweng outside Polokwane.
Kgomo said a permanent principal would be appointed by the end of next month.