Pretoria - Pupils at the Gqubeni Junior Primary School have learned to make do under tough conditions but thanks to a generous donation, their school days are about to become a little more comfortable.
The 600 pupils from the impoverished Mqanduli region in the Eastern Cape have had to rough it out after strong winds destroyed their mud classrooms in 2005.
Pupils attended classes outdoors, at the mercy of the wind, rain and sun, until the Department of Education provided them with a R3 million temporary steel structure, which was completed last year.
Despite having shelter to house the pupils, the school faced a serious shortage of furniture.
When the conditions under which pupils were learning was featured on SABC 2's Monring Live last year, it struck a chord with Transnet Port Terminals.
This week, the state-owned port operator donated furniture valued at R238 000 to the school.
The school will now have enough desks and chairs to provide a comfortable learning environment for all its pupils.
Gqubeni Junior Primary principal, Zoliswa Mabona, said the school had a high absenteeism rate because of the difficult conditions pupils had to put up with.
"Many of the learners just stayed at home when it was cold and wet because they did not want to sit outside for classes. Our annual pass rate was badly affected," she said.
Siya Mhlaluka, terminal executive manager for Transnet Port Terminals, encouraged pupils to stay focused on their education despite the challenges.
"We are honoured to have been able to help in some small way by working with the provincial Department of Education. We hope that this donation will go some way towards easing the burden faced by these rural learners," he said.
