Johannesburg - A group of Glenvista High School allegedly burnt down a school hall on Monday because they did not want to write a scheduled exam.
While the fire was extinguished before causing major damage, curtains, projector screen, electrical wiring and PA system were damaged by the blaze.
The principal, Thobile Morgan, said the incident happened around 11am.
She said she had left to attend a directors meeting when she got information that the school hall was on fire.
She called police and fire fighters. Morgan said she understands that teachers were busy teaching when pupils sneaked out of class and ran outside to the hall. The damage, she said, was estimated to be R400 000.
“I did not expect this especially now that we are about to write our finals exams, I ex-expected the school to be running smoothly and for learners to be learning,” she said.
Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi visited the school on Tuesday to see for himself and asses the damage.
Panyaza has since condemned the behaviour of the perpetrators and said the department would not be fixing the damage and the school would have to make a plan.
“We are devastated to discover that learners could go as far as committing an act of arson, destroying school infrastructure in the process, just to escape an important assessment.
“As such, we will not fix the damages caused by this fire. The school must see to finish,” he said.
“We wish to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the burning of the Glenvista High school hall allegedly by learners who did not want to write an assessment which was scheduled to be written in the hall that afternoon. Investigations into the matter by the School Governing Body are ongoing,” Lesufi said.
IOL