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GOVERNMENT says the estimated damage to schools in KwaZulu-Natal is estimated at around R400 million – and the cost is set to increase.
At least 600 schools in KZN were damaged, affecting 320,000 pupils across the province.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced during her vist to the province on Tuesday that most schools, affected by the floods, will reopen by Friday this week.
Motshekga said plans are now in place to repair those more severely damaged.
She said a plan is also in place to accommodate those children without schools.
Motshekga said the government is also putting together a plan to help pupils from schools damaged by floods.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education Kwazi Mshengu said that most schools should open this week but government is mindful of the fact that not all schools can commence with teaching and learning immediately.
“Well, the preliminary figure stands at R442 million for infrastructure, we are quantifying those damages now. Definitely the figure will go up, that is what we are expecting now. This is why we say all schools must open today so that we can start quantifying the damage, how many teachers were affected and how many learners were affected,” said Mshengu.
“That’s only related to infrastructure as you can see in this school, a lot of things have been damaged. Literally, the only things you find in schools are teachers and learners, but in terms of teacher support material and other equipment is completely gone,” he said.
Motshekga said that her department will assist with textbooks to all the affected schools in KwaZulu Natal.
“Displaced kids, kids who are orphaned who lost their parents, kids who are own their own that’s where the province has put in place psycho-social service programme which is going to be led by social development,” she said.
“The MEC has very good plan to send learners to neighbouring schools, keep them at centre’s but for now we are assessing what the damages are what is possible under circumstances and what we need to do where we are unable to really send kids back to school for a normal learning, bring whatever resources we have, books as the principal is explaining that urgently if we want them to go back to school the books have all be destroyed.”
INSIDE EDUCATION