The Justice and Correctional Services Department has stepped in to improve conditions at Rivoni School for the Blind at Elim in Limpopo.
Despite a history of producing some of the country’s top matric learners, including three last year, Rivoni’s infrastructure is still not up to standard.
The department intends improving conditions at 24 special schools around the country. Rivoni School for the blind is among those producing top learners. However, conditions here tell a different story.
Most of the buildings are in an appalling state. The Correctional Services Department roped in parolees to renovate the dilapidated structures.
Minister Michael Masutha says schools for learners with special needs have a serious lack of proper facilities. .
“We have a project called adopt a school where we expect our correctional centres to identify schools in need of support by ensuring that the schools enable learners to learn in conducive and decent conditions. But last year, we decided to bring a special focus by targeting special schools,” said Justice and Correctional Services minister Michael Masutha.
Learners have protested several times over the years demanding facilities. The intervention has been welcomed…
“We were sleeping in one room, which was not enough for us because we are too many and when the rain was raining our bed will get wet and we were sharing the classes. You find that grade r learners to 7 are sharing a one rondavel and not enough braille machines and books for us to be able to read. Now there are mobiles for us, they have fixed the hostels. So everything is better,” said a learner, Lethabo Magakwe.
The Limpopo Education Department says plans are at an advanced stage to build a new school for the learners.
Head of the department Beauty Mutheiwana has admitted that conditions at the school are not conducive.
“We appreciate the assistance that correctional services has given us in terms of the relief, particularly the challenges that we are experiencing here at Rivoni. We have finalised the design of the school we are intending building a new school here at Rivoni. The first draft has been presented to the department, we have made our inputs.
The implementing agent that has been contracted is making changes in terms of the inputs that we have made as the department,” said Education Department’s Beauty Mtheiwana.
Mutheiwana says the department has a huge infrastructure backlog, but an assessment that will assist in identifying a priority school has been complete.
