Education spokesperson, Elias Malindi, says that MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela will monitor the school's readiness on Thursday. He says the school will be operating for the very first time when schools open on 15 February.

Malindi adds that the Education Department has, to date, managed to build 12 mobile classrooms to accommodate the learners.

Many children residing in the area were compelled to travel to nearby villages to attend school, says Malindi. The department intervened in 2018 and vowed to build a brick and mortar school for the community. 

North West News Online reported in February 2020 that the MEC met with the community of this area and apologised for their unmet demand of building them a school in the 2018/19 financial year. This caused unrest with the community which affected schooling in Goedgefonden and Boikhutsong Villages.

Addressing the community back then, Matsemela aimed at resolving the matter by progressively appointing a task team that will work with the community to ensure the project takes place and apologised to the community. Alongside the departmental officials, a task team of community members and JB Marks Local Municipality officials were called upon to jumpstart the initiative.

Malindi quotes Matsemela, who says: “Our responsibility is to ensure that every learner has a right to education and this school will operate for the very first time when schools reopen. Tomorrow I will visit this school to monitor their readiness to welcome learners when schools reopen. I will check if they implement Covid–19 protocols which are not negotiable.”

He goes on to say that learners of the village had to travel to Tshirologo Primary School in Goedgevonden Village in Ventersdorp to attend school. However, the new school will enable learners to attend school near their homes, says Malindi.

OFM News/Shirndré-Lee Simmons