A month after schools in the city reopened, pupils from Pefferville Primary and Alphendale Senior Secondary schools are finally back at their desks.
Both schools welcomed all their grades back on Monday, February 13, after theft and vandalism amounting to millions had rendered the schools inoperable.
After protests held by parents from February 6-9, the Department of Education promised to begin working on restoring water and electricity at the schools from February 8.
The infrastructure for water has been restored at the schools and the grounds have been cleared of live wires and broken glass, however, electricity has not been fully restored yet.
The department also promised Pefferville Primary mobile toilets while its ablutions are being repaired.
Pefferville Primary principal George Plaatjies said: “We are still unable to serve meals because the kitchen equipment was stolen.
“The teachers are following our class timetables as we planned.
“We are replacing some of the infrastructure that we can replace.
“It’s a relief to have the pupils back at school. We want the children to have all the support they need so they are thoroughly prepared for the tests and exams. We have security staff who volunteered from the local CPF who are assisting us now with protecting the school in the evenings.
“They have been screened by myself and interviewed by the school governing body.”
Plaaitjies said the school would also implement a more stringent procedure when employing support staff.
He said among those charged with stealing at the school were former grounds and kitchen staff, who had been involved in salary disputes with the school.
“We are a no fee paying school and when we don’t have money to pay people we have had discussions with them in advance to warn them there will be periods where they won’t be paid out their full salaries. We have to fundraise for salaries because the money we receive from the department must go towards whatever they allocate it to.”
Alphendale principal Gavin Appollis said: “There are no unsafe cables and plugs, there are no broken windows and where there is still broken infrastructure that section is cordoned off.
“We are in the process of rewiring the school which will take time.”
Teaching would continue until the end of the first term, with assessments done in the first week of term two.
“We cannot roll out the nutrition programme yet because our gas canisters were stolen and we need to reapply for our gas licence.”
