With the re-opening of schools happening soon, provincial departments of education are gearing up to welcome learners for the 2024 academic year. In KwaZulu-Natal, the officials are confident of a smooth start to the year, despite the challenges caused by the recent floods.
Muzi Mahlambi, the Head of Communications at the department has expressed that they are at advanced stages with the province’s state of readiness for schools re-opening because they ensured that all schools had stationery and text books delivered when they closed in 2023. He said that if there’s some work to be done, it’s a small percentage.
“The only thing that takes us back as a department is the recent floods in some of the areas, especially in Ladysmith,” Mahlambi said.
According to the department, preliminary reports indicate that 50 schools across the province have been damaged by the December floods.
“The department is working around the clock to add mobile classrooms before schools re-open next week. We are making an assessment of damages caused by the floods so we can estimate in terms of the budget that will be needed, however, the challenge will be securing the budget as we are from the premise that says we don’t have money,” added Mahlambi.
KwaZulu Natal is unfortunately not new to destructive floods caused by inclement weather. In April 2022 the province was ravaged by devastating floods that destroyed 356 schools, causing delays to schooling and teaching during that academic year. The department of education spent millions on classrooms affected by the floods.
A report by the Auditor General last year revealed that 74 mobile classrooms were built at a cost of R18 million across the province.