Jamataka Pupils Face Hard Times In Classrooms
Chakalisa Dube | Monday November 12, 2018 14:06
FRANCISTOWN: It is common knowledge that classrooms are supposed to be designed in a manner that stimulates learning and facilitates creative thinking amongst learners.
However, this is a reverse as some classrooms around the country are a nightmare for both students and teachers.
Jamataka Primary School is one of the schools whose classrooms have the potential to severely derail learning. The village, which is sandwiched between Borolong and Matsitama, is also home to one of the poorest people in the country. Jamataka has a population of around 1,000 people.
For nearly five years a sizeable number of pupils at the school have been using makeshift classes entirely built using corrugated iron sheets, constantly exposing them to various risks and hazards as well hampering their learning. The school boasts of only nine well-built classrooms, but they are all overwhelmed by the high number of pupils.
The makeshift classrooms are not attractive and they resemble shacks. They also appear leaky and narrow, which many parents say exacerbate overcrowding. In total there are four makeshift classrooms, but the other one has since been turned into a storeroom according to reports. The school’s dire classroom situation recently came to the fore when one of the makeshift learning space, was posted on Facebook. Many argued it highlights what most learners and teachers go through in most schools around the country. The classroom situation is also said to be a serious source of worry to some teachers who face serious accommodation challenges. The Monitor visited the school last week and many parents and residents complained that when temperatures soar, the afternoon scorching heat makes it very difficult to conduct teaching/learning activities.They also bemoaned that students who use the ‘learning spaces’ often struggle with the elements most particularly the period between May and July. The village chief, Mosalagae Galebonwe also raised strong concerns about the situation at the primary school.
“I have noticed instances where when it is raining it becomes very noisy. This then means that learning is greatly disturbed. Pupils can’t do well when they study in a substandard environment. The current status of the school is a serious concern to us,” he says.“Teachers are also often accused of not delivering, but the reality is that when the teaching and learning environment is not up to standard, teachers will not produce positive results.” Galebonwe points out that although he acknowledges that the government has challenges of providing key services for all Batswana, it should prioritise issues such as education as well as basic needs like water amongst others.
“I also hope that as the media continues highlighting our plight in many areas, some stakeholders such as the private sector will come in and assist in whatever way they can,” he says. One of the parents, James Dlamini warns that allowing pupils to continue using makeshift classrooms built with corrugated iron is a ticking time bomb that needs to be diffused urgently. “In the past there have been situations where temperatures have climbed higher than normal,” Dlamini points out.
“If nothing is done some pupils or teachers will one day suffer serious health consequences or at worst die as a result of being exposed to non-favourable conditions such as higher temperatures. Classrooms are needed as a matter of urgency at the school.”
Thirty-two-year-old Unangoni Jane, who is a volunteer at the village Kgotla, also shares similar concerns raised by Dlamini.
Jane has a five-year-old child who is attending pre-school at the primary. Children who attend the nursery school also use one of the makeshift classes. The area Member of Parliament and Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Fidelis Molao admits that the learning environment at Jamataka primary also deeply worries him.
“The school used to have classes up to Standard Four if I am not mistaken. From there pupils were admitted at other schools in neighbouring villages to continue with their primary,” observes Molao.
“However, since the school started having classes up to Standard Seven it has struggled with a higher number of learners. That is why the idea to have makeshift classrooms was initiated. The reality is that we cannot turn pupils away because there are no classrooms. We have to improvise.”
The primary school started having classes up to Standard Seven after Jamataka was declared a village some years ago.
Children in the village attend junior secondary school in neighbouring villages. Molao says he is optimistic that in the next financial year new classes would be built at the school.
“My assumption is that during very harsh weather conditions the school management usually puts measures in place to ensure that learners are not at risk,” adds Molao. Unions representing teachers have often posited that lack of proper resources in schools and the poor learning environment are amongst the reasons schools around the country have often performed badly.
The school’s headteacher says she could only discuss issues surrounding the school when her superiors have granted her permission.