Teaching and learning at the school were disrupted on Monday (1/6) when disgruntled community members and parents staged a protest over inadequate learning conditions and delays in the construction of a permanent school building.

OFM News reported the school faces serious infrastructure challenges, with learners allegedly being forced to study in unsafe temporary structures. Classes have at times been suspended during rainy weather due to leaking classrooms.

The poor state of the school environment was also highlighted in videos and photographs shared by community members, showing overgrown grass, stagnant water, and broken fencing, among other concerns. These conditions have raised safety concerns for both learners and staff.

Free State DA education spokesperson Jafta Mokoena called on the department of education to urgently address infrastructure delays that have contributed to the school’s closure.

“(The) DA in the Free State is calling upon the department of education in the Free State to ensure that the situation at Western Holdings Primary School is rectified, that the school is open again so that learners can access education that they deserve.”

The party also expressed concern about the number of schools across the province that remain under construction without clear timelines for completion. Mokoena said education MEC Dr Julia Maboya must prioritise the completion of all outstanding infrastructure projects.

“(She) must commit to completing all outstanding school infrastructure projects, ensuring that learners are afforded safe and dignified learning spaces that support quality education.”

While mobile classrooms may offer a temporary solution, they should not replace permanent school facilities, he added. “The department’s provision of mobile classrooms may offer a temporary alternative when infrastructure projects are delayed, but these structures cannot serve as a substitute for permanent school buildings.

“These structures often provide inadequate space for effective teaching and learning, become unbearably hot in summer and extremely cold in winter, and deteriorate rapidly over time,” he said.

The conditions at Western Holdings Primary and other schools facing similar challenges require urgent intervention, as safe infrastructure is essential to ensure dignity, stability, and uninterrupted teaching and learning.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi sm

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