The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Limpopo Department of Education’s Head of Department, Maropene Seshibe, to urgently provide mobile classrooms and address the severe staffing challenges faced by Mpfariseni Secondary School in Thohoyandou.
This follows an oversight inspection conducted by the DA, which revealed overcrowding, understaffing, dilapidated and unsafe infrastructure, and a severe lack of resources at the school.
Severe staff shortages
Mpfariseni Secondary School is facing critical staff shortages. The school should have at least eleven teachers but currently has only six.
There are no suitably qualified educators to teach key gateway subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Science and Agriculture. As a result, desperate parents are using their limited resources to pay for a qualified Mathematics educator to teach learners over weekends.
This situation is unacceptable and places an unfair burden on already struggling families.
Overcrowding and unsafe infrastructure
The school’s infrastructure is aged, neglected and poses a serious safety risk to learners.
Many classroom buildings are dilapidated and unsafe.
There are not enough classrooms to accommodate all learners.
A total of 123 Grade 12 learners are forced to share a single classroom.
When classes split into different subjects, some learners are forced to learn outside or in unsafe, crumbling structures.
No learner should be subjected to such conditions in pursuit of their education.
A systemic failure by the department
The conditions at Mpfariseni Secondary School reflect a broader failure by the Limpopo Department of Education to maintain and upgrade school infrastructure.
Reports indicating that more than half of the 3,800 schools under the department’s control are on a priority list for renovations, rebuilding or demolition point to years of neglect, poor planning and administrative inefficiency.
The department’s constitutional obligation to provide basic education does not end with enrolment. It includes:
Adequate and qualified teachers
Safe and sufficient classrooms
Proper learning resources
Infrastructure that promotes dignity and safety
The DA’s call to action
The DA calls on the Limpopo Department of Education to:
Immediately deploy mobile classrooms to reduce overcrowding.
Urgently appoint qualified educators, particularly for gateway subjects.
Conduct a full infrastructure safety audit at the school.
Table a clear intervention plan with timelines for upgrades and staffing.
The DA cares deeply about the conditions our learners are exposed to and remains committed to ensuring that every child receives quality education in a safe and conducive learning environment.
Education is not a favour — it is a constitutional right.
