Maun Sec School closed

BONIFACE KEAKABETSE
Correspondent | Friday October 19, 2012 00:00

MAUN: Maun Senior Secondary School (MSSS) was forced to close down following a spate of 'retaliatory' fires that razed blocks of classrooms. In the past two weeks, people purporting to be MSSS students torched classrooms and offices allegedly in order to pressurise authorities to fire male teachers 'engaging in love affairs' with female students.

On Monday night a bush near the school's premises  was set ablaze by the arsonists who apparently eluded the police who guard the school 24 hours a day. This resulted in pandemonium as frightened students living in the school's hostels panicked. Batawana paramount chief, Kealetile Moremi, addressed students after a fire burned the second block saying the blocks were of historic importance.  They were the first classrooms that were built by United Congregation Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) in the 1970s, which owns the school. She said in her days as a student, she used one of the classrooms saying it disheartened her and Maun residents that a symbol of their history has gone up in smoke.

Ngamiland DC, Bernadette Malala confirmed the closure of the school during an emergency meeting in Maun on Wednesday. Malala told the leadership of Maun, which included Kgosi Moremi, education authorities and the police chief that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development closed down the school indefinitely to safeguard public property as security at the school could not be guaranteed.  She said students, especially boarders, were so  traumatised and fearful of their lives they just had to close down the school.  She said no students would be allowed onto school premises, save for the Form Fives who are writing their final examinations.

Malala said about 50 MSSS Form Fives students will be relocated to accommodation outside the school.Eight classrooms in the school's Lion House and the House Office were burnt down by the arsonists who purported in a Facebook post that they were students who wanted to express their disgust at love affairs between teachers and female students.

Meanwhile Acting Education Director Didimalang Mmemo said the Ministry will ensure that Form Five  examinations go on as scheduled. She said only MSSS students are writing Form Five examinations as Shakawe, which opened this year, only has Form Four students. She added that Form Four students from the schools will be exempt from writing end of term examinations, which will be written in future.  Arrangements will be made for students to cover outstanding syllabus during the time of forced closure.

Maun Station commander, Kenanao Badumetse, told the meeting that police are yet to make any arrests although their investigations are on-going. He was unable to elaborate further as that might jeopardise their investigations. He did however say that the school will continue to be under police security during its closure.