The Northern Cape MEC for Education, Zolile Monakali, inspected the damage caused by a fire that broke out at SC Kearns High School in Upington on Thursday morning.
THE NORTHERN Cape MEC for Education, Zolile Monakali, today inspect the damage caused by a fire that broke out at SC Kearns High School in Upington yesterday morning.
Spokesperson for the department, Geoffrey van der Merwe, said the west wing of the school was gutted and classes will temporarily be suspended while the department is working on measures to accommodate learners.
“A section of the school burnt down, including 16 classrooms. The school accommodates more than 1 200 learners of which 175 learners are in Grade 12. The school will be closed until May 8 in order to cordon off the affected section and safeguard the school premises.
“The department has informed the District Office to place the school on a rotational timetable in order to accommodate all grades while several temporary solutions are being considered,” said Van der Merwe.
He said the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
“At this stage the exact cause of the fire is not yet known. The police are currently investigating the matter. We are grateful to the police and the fire department for their swift response in extinguishing the fire and for preventing it from spreading to other parts of the school.”
Van der Merwe added that the department has also activated its Inclusive Unit to provide psycho-social support to educators and learners at the school from next week.
