1200 students at local school lack sportsfield
2005-06-30
David Joshua
IT seems a gigantic task for teachers at Ihlumelo Junior Secondary School in Mbekweni, to get the necessary support from the community to finish the ....-year-old school’s sportsgrounds.
Says vice-principal Isaac Mnweba, “The school is in dire need of the necessary sports facilities, which have not yet been completed.
“Many of the idle youth get caught up in crime and drug abuse. If we at school can keep them busy with sport activities, it can go almost all the way to keep them out of jail.”
Although funds are being allocated by the department to the school, according to him most of it is being utilised to fund stationery and other educational needs.
There are 1200 learners at the school coming mostly from surrounding squatter settlements, and many are part of single-parent families.
Many of the parents live on government grants and find it hard to pay the school fees of R120 per year.
The school has started to clear part of the schoolgrounds, with the help of students, but lack funds to hire transport to remove the heaps of rubble and stones.
Says head of department Jeffrey Plam, “We made an application to the national lottery some two months ago with a comprehensive business plan on what the school wants to do.
“Apart from a rugby, soccer and cricket field we also want to develop indoor sports facilities.
“We know however that it can easily take years for us to receive a Lotto grant”.
According to Paddy Attwell, Director of Communication at the Western Cape Education Department, the department insists that contractors level and stabilise an area the size of a playing field next to a new school building.
“Schools can use a portion of the funding we provide for running costs to plant grass and maintain a sportsfield as part of their maintenance budget, which normally accounts for about 4% of this allocation.
“We know that this is not easy for schools running on tight budgets. We wish we could do more, but it is not possible.
“Regretfully, our building funds are fully committed and we do not have any additional funds for sportsfields.
“We commend Ihlumelo for their efforts so far and join the school in appealing for partners who may be able to assist.”
If you feel that you can be of assistance, contact Mnweba at 868-2987/30 once the schools reopen.
More
News
|
