By Simon Majadibodu

Teaching and learning was badly disrupted at the at Tosca Primary School in the Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality, North West, after seven classrooms were set on fire by angry residents.

The residents burnt school furniture, files, textbooks, and Grade R equipment during the violent and fiery action last Friday.

The North West Department of Education spokesperson, Mphata Molokwane, said in a statement that this comes after officials from the Department of Employment and Labour closed a block of three classrooms at the school last week on Tuesday, due to inadequate conditions for learning and teaching.

Following that, fuming residents in the area went to the school’s premises intending to shut the school down.

“It is further alleged that on the day of the incident around 11am a group of people entered the school premises and burnt down seven classrooms, school furniture, school files, and textbooks and damaged the Grade R equipment.”

Angry community members set alight seven classrooms of Tosca Primary School in North West. Photo: Facebook / North West Department of Education

North West Education MEC Viola Motsumi has condemned the act, expressing concern over the continued targeting of school properties as a means of venting anger.

“This is extremely sad and disturbing. It is disturbing that there are still communities in this province who vent their anger by burning school properties,” Motsumi said.

“A school is a centre of knowledge for the community. Really, how do we expect learners to acquire information when we burn schools?,”

Motsumi said that as a result of this incident, learners have lost five days without learning and teaching.

She added: “We have lost all the records of learners due to this horrible incident. As a department, we condemn this incident in the strongest terms and call for the immediate arrest of all those behind this fire.”.

Meanwhile, the department said that it is committed to delivering mobile classrooms, today on Monday, to assist with teaching and learning.

Molokwane mentioned that a team of counsellors from the department has been put on standby to counsel learners and teachers as soon as teaching and learning resume.

IOL