The administration block, 11 classrooms and ablution blocks of the Garies High School have completely been destroyed in a fire that raged at this school in the Namakwaland on Saturday morning (17/09).
Answer scripts, learning and teaching support material, as well as school furniture have also been destroyed.
Geoffrey van der Merwe, spokesperson for the Northern Cape Department of Education, says the situation is a huge concern for the department, as learners are busy with examinations and possibly have lost all their schoolwork.
“The fire is a devastating blow, as the school serves a number of surrounding communities in the area of the Kamiesberg Municipality,” he says.
Apparently the school hall, two classrooms, the woodwork room, a storeroom and an unused ablution block have not been affected by the fire.
Fire fighters from different areas managed to extinguish the fire in extremely windy weather conditions. The exact cause of the fire is not clear. Whether arson should be suspected is also uncertain, Van der Merwe states.
The Garies High School accommodates 216 learners, of which 21 are in Gr. 12, with 11 teachers. The school hostel accommodates 136 learners, which represents 73 girls and 63 boys.
Van der Merwe says the department is devastated by the damage caused by the fire and is already putting plans in place to provide immediate assistance.
Zolile Monakali, Northern Cape MEC for Education, and Moira Marais, head of the department, were expected to visit the school on Monday (19/09) to assess the damage and determine an immediate emergency plan to assist the teachers, learners and support staff of the school.
