Khutsong pupils forced to study in the shadow of death

Almost two years since a sink-hole swallowed the Relebogile Secondary School's building in Khutsong, Carltonville, nothing has been done to fix its infrastructure woes.

- By Queenin Masuabi

Pupils are being taught in poor hygienic conditions in prefabricated classes adjacent to their school grounds on land owned by a local church.

More than 1400 pupils share 10 toilets, while 59 teachers use another three.

The low-pressure prefabricated toilets can barely flush.This leaves pupils with no choice but to fill up buckets with water from two tanks to create a forceful flush.

There is no proper drainage system or paving, making it impossible for pupils and teachers to change classes during rainy days.

Security risks have plagued the school's temporary premises, with a community member speaking to Sunday World anonymously about the worries they have regarding the safety of the children and their teachers.

The community member said it has become the responsibility of teachers and the principal to ensure that the temporary structures are not damaged during weekends and holidays.