Parents in Soweto have voiced their concerns over the recent introduction of rotational learning at Noordgesig Secondary School.
This interim arrangement is due to the shortage of space after the closure of asbestos classrooms due to safety and health protocols.
It is reported that a Department of Labour report recently declared 13 asbestos classrooms unsafe for learning and teaching, which is why the school was forced to introduce rotational learning with only Grade 12 learners the only cohort attending full-time classes.
Speaking to The Star on Monday, Theo Louw, a father of a Grade 11 learner said the system was inconveniencing their children.
“I am not happy about this new system, especially at this time of the year. Why couldn’t they just let them continue their classes because they have been studying in asbestos classes. They should have just allowed the year to end before closing down these asbestos classrooms. Now our children are missing out on learning at this crucial time of the year,” Louw said.
Another parent who spoke on condition of anonymity said children were starting to misbehave and fall into wrong company due to the extra days off school.
“You know how children are when they have too much time in their hands and are not motivated. They start misbehaving and not do their work,” the parent said.
When The Star arrived at the school, mobile classrooms to replace the asbestos classrooms had been erected.
A staff member, who declined to be identified, told The Star that learning should be back to normal by end of the week.
“Well as you can see, the mobile classrooms are almost ready and we should be getting back to normality by Wednesday or Thursday this week. The rotational learning was just an interim solution due to the department of labour’s report,” he said.
Speaking outside the school, DA spokesperson on education, Khume Ramulifho, said Noordgesig was not the only school still having an asbestos problem.
He called for the department to speed up the eradication of asbestos schools without any further delays.
“The department made several commitments to eradicate all asbestos structures in 2016 and 2022 and it never happened. Learners are now being denied access to quality education and every day learning due to the Gauteng Department of Education’s failure to eradicate all asbestos structures in Gauteng,“ Ramulifho said.
Ramulifho said his party had long called for speedy delivery of services and eradication of issues affecting Gauteng schools, including contractual disputes between the department and contractors as well as the issue of holding contractors accountable for not finishing building projects on time.
“We reiterate our call for the department to eradicate all schools built with improper materials, including asbestos. This will ensure that learning and teaching take place in a conducive environment… We have seen this happen in many schools where contractors are not held accountable for not finishing or sometimes abandoning uncompleted project. They (contractors) continue to bid for new contracts having not fulfilled their mandate, all because they are somehow connected to those who issue these contracts,” he said.
Attempts to get comment from the department were unsuccessful at the time of going to print.