The premises of the former Sentrale Volkskool in Kroonstad serves as the new home for learners from farm schools in the Kroonstad area.
“The department of education made this decision due to several challenges the learners and teachers of farm schools had to face,” says the newly appointed principal of the school, Johan Loubser.
Loubser was the principal of the Kroonheuwel Primary School in Kroonstad before the merging of the Sentrale Volkskool and Kroonheuwel Primary, now known as the Trio Primary School.
The old Opsaal-hostel and the premises of the Sentrale Volkskool were vacant when the department of education decided to form a new school. This school would then be named the Moqhaka Primary School. The new name must still be approved and confirmed by the department. The aim of the new school is to provide quality education to learners previously enrolled in farm schools in the area.
Loubser says that obstacles such as one or two teachers forced to teach more than 20 learners in all the relevant subjects were very challenging. Some learners were behind in the learning process and could not progress at the same pace.
Numerous learners had to walk about 10 km to school, and those who made use of the bus services had to leave their homes at 06:00 in the morning. These learners arrived home late in the afternoon and sometimes in bad weather conditions. Therefore, the department of education decided to intervene and founded the new school.
Currently, the hostel accommodates 205 learners – 145 primary school and 60 high school learners of the JSM Sitloane School opposite the new primary school.
School uniforms from the old Sentrale Volkskool and the Kroonheuwel Primary School were donated to learners of the new school. CC Chickens also made a contribution towards the learners. “We are very grateful for everybody who supports the new initiative.”
The main focus of the new school is to accommodate learners from farm schools and to get them settled in before they move to a new phase in 2023. This shift aims to accommodate learners from the Kroonstad area.
For inquiries about the school’s activities or how to get involved, call Loubser on 073-410-4271.
