The floods which have impacted several areas across the province, forced the school to seek alternative accommodation for its students.

Headmaster Jaco Geringer took to social media to request assistance for the 75 pupils who were in need of temporary classrooms. The school, located on Cuckoo Street, Klerksdorp, was severely impacted by the floods, and Geringer quickly found a solution at a local church. The school will now continue lessons at the church for at least a month, starting Monday (24/2) when learners are expected to return.

“We going to stay there for at least a month for our place to be cleaned up, dried out for the electricity to be fixed, which we will get from the insurance if we are lucky. So the first need we have is R1000 a day for where we will be staying, that is what we need at the moment,” he said.

Geringer said the school has to pay R1000 per day for the use of the church facility.

The floods have caused widespread damage across the region, and schools throughout North West have been affected by the heavy rain. The Department of Education in the province has advised parents and school transport operators to exercise caution, given the ongoing rainfall.

“We advise parents and school transport operators to exercise caution while transporting learners to schools, given the increased rainfall in certain areas of the province. 

“We also urge all learners and teachers to refrain from travelling near rivers and dams, as such activities pose a significant risk to personal safety,” said the spokesperson for the North West Department of Education, Mphata Molokwane.

He further warned children to avoid playing in running water or near pools, as these activities increase the risk of accidents during the rainy season. Parents were also encouraged to stay informed by monitoring weather updates to ensure the safety of their families.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg