By Qaqamba Matundu
Photo: taken from Facebook
In the early hours, just before the classes’ commerce, Misty Mount residents saw smoke coming from Upper Corana Senior Secondary school. This comes after they heard rumors about a strike that learners were planning to do that day, the 31st of August. Upper Corana SSS is a high school situated at Misty Mount Location under Libode in the Eastern Cape.
UPC is one of the public high schools that accommodates learners from more than 20 rural areas from the nearby areas.
Learners were complaining about their old, damaged classrooms that were dangerous to them. They feared for their lives. It is said that three incidents have happened this year where learners and teachers fell on the old floor.
“In addition to the classrooms, they also burnt down computers and other electronic devices. In 2021, education MEC Fundile Gade was informed about the dilapidated condition of the school, and he promised an investigation, but parents said he had never been back” said Misty Mount resident.
“The school is very old. I don’t know how many teachers has fallen inside those halls. We have reported these incidents to authorities.” Said UPC principal, Mdabula.
One of the learners who asked for his identity to be anonymous said “We have asked for help multiple times, now we have thought maybe government authorities will hear our cries when the least we had has been damaged to no repair. We have hope that we will also be like other children and have decent safe school.”
During the whole incident, grade 12 learners were busy with their trial examinations. They had to be accommodated at Bhekizulu SSS in Mdlankomo, a nearby rural area to Misty Mount. They were transported from and to school every day. Now after several meetings about the whole situation between school inspectors, the principal, and teachers, a decision was taken that some learners will be moved to Ngxanga Junior Secondary School, one of the primaries at Misty Mount.
Their classes now start at 12 pm just after the primary learners have left the premises because a sacrificed had to be made for them.
According to Thulz Tulba who wrote on the socials he is saying opinions will never be the same about the whole situation. Attwell Madala, a school in Mthatha was burnt and now they have a proper school, so he believes UPC will also be built after being burnt. He supports the burning.