The North West Department of Education says an infrastructure team has been dispatched to Matlhare Mokautu Secondary School in Monakato Village, outside Rustenburg, to assess a double-storey classroom block that has been deemed unsafe for learners, teachers and the wider school community.
The Department highlighted that the decision was taken after it was discovered that the structure was unstable and posed a serious safety risk to learners.
MEC for Education Viola Motsumi announced to the community that seven mobile classrooms have been delivered to the school.
“This is a temporary measure that the Department is implementing while we seek a permanent solution to this problem. We cannot leave our children and educators in an environment that is clearly unconducive to teaching and learning,” said Motsumi.
Motsumi met with the school management team, parents and the School Governing Body (SGB) on Friday, where she emphasised the Department’s commitment to ensuring the safety of learners.
“Last year, I visited the school and found that learners’ lives were at high risk. I immediately instructed that they be moved to a safer learning environment. Today, I am proud that all those learners have been accommodated in seven mobile classrooms.
“As a Department, our number one priority is the safety of both teachers and learners. We are also in the process of addressing this challenge permanently by appointing a contractor to repair the building. We will introduce the contractor once all supply chain processes have been concluded,” said MEC Motsumi.
The School Governing Body expressed gratitude and satisfaction following the Department’s intervention.
“It has been long overdue. We have been raising concerns that our children’s lives are at risk. The school was built many years ago and has not been properly maintained, posing a serious threat to the entire school community, not just the learners. It could collapse at any time. We are delighted that the government has responded to our calls. We are relieved and would like to thank the MEC in particular for this intervention,” said an SGB member.
Matlhare Mokautu Secondary School achieved a pass rate of more than 93% in the 2025 matric results and is targeting a pass rate of over 95% in 2026.
