Borolong villagers mull over second school
Pini Bothoko | Friday April 4, 2014 12:28
The villagers are mulling over a decision to raise funds to construct a community primary school to relieve the one that is currently overcrowded.
Borolong Primary School currently has over 1,000 learners whilst a primary school is expected to have a maximum of 850. About seven classes at the school attend their lessons under trees.
Last year teachers, after a deafening silence from the ministry, boycotted lessons in a move that was meant to highlight the problem. In response the then Minister, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, who expressed shock during a visit to the school, stunned the villagers when she declared that government did not have money to construct another school.
Venson-Moitoi then advised residents to send their children to schools in the neighbouring village of Chadibe where there are about eight vacant classrooms.
Besides the distance that would be travelled by the pupils to Chadibe, the two villages have uneasy relations over a disputed ward the two villages sandwich. Both villages claim the ward, Shongochena or Mpatane, belongs to them.
Kgosi Israel Molema disclosed to Mmegi that after two failed attempts to convince the government of the need for a second primary school, they have reached a conclusion as leadership of the village to independently build a community primary school.
“There is a serious problem at our primary school. Winter season is approaching and it will really hurt to see young children huddling under trees. Our village is growing at a high speed. Next year the population would have increased,” said Molema.
He said that they have a plot reserved for the second primary school, which they have applied for. He said they are currently working hard to be issued a certificate for the plot so that they can start requesting for funds.
“We want at least to try and construct a community primary school. If we can start with four block classrooms it would be better. We can thereafter ask the government to meet us half-way,” he said.
Molema said that recently during a Kgotla meeting addressed by the Minister of Lands and Housing Lebonaamang Mokalake, when told about over-crowding at the school, he advised them to consider increasing blocks from the current 22 to 24.
“We were not aware that it is possible for the school to be upgraded, but the problem we have is that there is not enough space at the school. Unless they can construct flats. However, we will take his advice and see if the government can at least take it on board,” he said.
In her comments, the Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson Oga Lesetedi said that they are waiting for the certificate of the second school plot so that they can start asking for donations.
“The money would be used to construct a community primary school to relieve the present school. “We can ask for money and construct few classroom blocks that can cater for a few classes that are currently taught outside because it is not good for their learning.
“We have decided to do something as the villagers because the government told us that there are no funds at the moment,” he said. Lesetedi said that they are currently pleading for support from the primary school management so that they help them with what is needed in order to construct a full functioning school.
“There is another idea of upgrading the present school, which we are also planning to approach the MoESD with,” said Lesetedi.