Over 200 000 learners have been effected by the floods in the Northern Province.
THE schooling of hundreds of thousands of learners has been suspended because of the floods that have ravaged the Northern Province. Department representative Rapule Matsane says that four of the seven regions have reported the closure of 382 schools.
The estimated number of students effected just in these regions is around 200 000.
However, the other three regions (regions 1, 2 and 6) have not been able to report their situation because officials can’t be reached and phone lines have been washed away, says Matsane. He estimates that the real figure of learners unable to attend school is over 300 000.
”The schools are inaccessible because the bridges have been washed away,” explains Matsane. ”You can also have the situation where the rooftops of the school has been blown off. Also, there are many cases where the villagers’ mud houses have collapsed, so the school is being used as a shelter.”
Matsane said that ”Catch up programmes are needed, and we’re going to have discussions to see how we can make up for lost time.” One proposal is that teachers forfeit their Easter holidays to make up for the disruption to the school year.
Meantime, ”Students will be out of school for as long as these flood-related inconveniences exist”, says Matsane.
— The Teacher/Mail & Guardian, March 3, 2000.
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