GDE must end rotational learning and provide mobile classrooms to improve learners’ performance at Simunye Secondary School

30 January 2023

The quality of teaching and learning at Simunye Secondary School is severely impacted due to the shortage of classrooms and the continuous rotational learning system.

The DA is concerned that this school is still on rotational learning while it was declared that all learners must attend school full-time. This means that learners at this school are missing much-needed learning time.

The school’s grade 12 class of 2022 was the worst-performing school in the province, with a 48% pass rate.

The school infrastructure is in a terrible state, there are 20 dilapidated mobile classrooms, collapsing ablution facilities and six toilets are not functioning.

The school has a capacity of 1452 learners and only grades 11 and 12 are attending school on a full-time basis. Other grades are still on a rotational learning system because there is no proper infrastructure in place.

We have been informed that the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) had promised to deliver 15 mobile classrooms, but to date, it has not yet happened.

The only solution to improve academic performance at Simunye Secondary School so that it can compete with other well-performing schools is to provide additional mobile classrooms to ensure a conducive learning and teaching environment.

The DA will continue to put pressure on the department to speed up the process of providing 15 mobile classrooms to end the rotational learning system at this school.

Issued by Khume Ramulifho, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, 30 January 2023