This comes after the department confirmed that the construction of new classrooms for Carlton van Heerden Secondary School will commence in 2023 to replace the old classrooms.

The spokesperson, Geoffrey van der Merwe, says the department has handed over mobile classrooms to the school to ensure that teaching and learning are not disrupted when construction begins.

The MEC, Zolile Monakali, together with the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela, officially handed over the mobile classrooms at the school in Upington on Tuesday, 18 October 2022. Van der Merwe adds that the school will relocate at the end of the year, as educators and learners are currently preparing for the final exams.

ALSO READ: Only 7% of incomplete school buildings are in NW, NC, FS

In 2021, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, stated that 7,3% of structurally incomplete schools in the country are in the central South African provinces of the North West, the Free State, and the Northern Cape.

Hantam High School in Calvinia was closed earlier this year as a result of infrastructure-related challenges after certain classrooms at the school were declared unsafe by the Department of Labour.

ALSO READ: Northern Cape school receives much-needed mobile classrooms

Vandalism has also contributed to the decline of the infrastructure of Northern Cape schools. This comes as the department confirmed that at least 39 schools were vandalised over the last festive season. 

ALSO READ: Infrastructure leads to closure of Northern Cape school

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