FIVE families are cramped in a single teachers’ cottage while pupils share one classroom block at Makokomba Primary School in Nyamandlovu, Umguza district, after the second building was severely damaged by heavy rains that lashed the area in October 2013. BENSON DUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT
The school’s headmaster Dumiso Nkomo said the living conditions of teachers were not conducive and stripped their families of dignity by leaving them with no privacy while the learning environment compromised the quality of education.
“The school has only one cottage that houses five families leaving them with no privacy and this disturbs the running of the school, especially when it comes to command and control,” Nkomo said.
The school has an enrolment of 250 pupils who all share one classroom block although Education ministry standards require that such a number be accommodated in seven blocks.
However, Nkomo said what the school urgently needed was the repairing of the damaged block so that they could rationalise the use.
“The school needs over $9 000 for repairs to be done so that we don’t experience high absenteeism like we had during the rainy season as parents don’t want their children to learn outside exposed to the elements,” Nkomo said.
He also appealed to well-wishers to assist the school to construct five teacher’s cottages saying their living conditions heavily dented their morale which would most likely impact on their teaching performance.
