Parents and members of the school governing body (SGB) have expressed their concerns about the deteriorating state of the classrooms at HS Phillips Secondary School in Shirley village near Elim. The six-classroom block, constructed by missionaries in 1932, had its roof blown off by strong winds in early 2021, causing damage to school equipment and study materials.
The SGB reported the matter to the Department of Education, who provided six mobile classrooms as a temporary solution and promised to construct modern classrooms in 2022. Despite follow-ups by the SGB, the department has yet to fulfil its promise, leading some parents to enrol their children in other, more distant schools. As a result, HS Phillips Secondary School has been experiencing a decline in student enrolment each year.
Currently, the school has only 258 students in Grades 8 to 12. The remaining classrooms also suffer from leaks during the rainy season, and the school lacks funds to purchase electricity for the air conditioners in the mobile classrooms.
One of the concerned parents, Ms Doris Mabasa, expressed her worries about the safety of the learners and emphasised the need for the Department of Education to honour its promise of constructing modern classrooms. Many parents in the community are unemployed and cannot afford the transportation costs of sending their children to other schools.
Marlyne Muvhali, a Grade 12 learner, highlighted the challenges of studying in mobile classrooms with extreme temperatures and unreliable power supply during rainy weather, which affect concentration and learning.
The chairperson of the SGB, Mr Vicky Muvhali, stated that the situation forced learners to transfer to schools with better infrastructure and that the school was in a deteriorating state. Even educators are being transferred to other schools because of the decreasing number of students.
Mr Mike Maringa, spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Basic Education, mentioned that HS Phillips Secondary School was on their priority list for infrastructure improvement. He stated that the department allocated funds for norms and standards and expected the school to use the allocated funds to purchase electricity. The construction of schools on the priority list has already begun.