Not a single child in Matloding village in Ratlou municipality, North West, attends school.
The villagers closed their only primary school saying they did not see the point of sending their children to school if they did not have a secondary school to go to later on.
On the first day of the third term last week, villagers blocked all roads leading to Matloding, near the Botswana border.
The community closed Matloding Primary School, saying their drastic action was influenced by the North West department of education's delay to address challenges facing their children.
Matloding older pupils attend secondary school at another village 12km away.
In May this year, pupils from Matloding boycotted school after their schoolmates at Marumoloa Middle School in Tshidilamolomo village told them they were not welcome at their school.
The Matloding pupils travel that far because their village does not have a secondary school. But the children from Tshidi-lamolomo did not welcome them, calling Matloding children "poor people".
Last month Sowetan reported how Matloding children were also beaten up, while others say they were stabbed, by Tshidi-lamolomo pupils.
Now the Matloding community want the province to renovate an unused school at the village and turn it into a secondary school, or build a new structure.
Keboneng Mothelesi, a parent of five children at Matloding Primary, said: "I also want to see my children being successful and educated. It's been too long since the children have been staying at home and government is doing nothing."
Phemelo Matlhaku, a Grade 3 pupil at Matlo-ding, said he wished to go back to school as he wanted to work for the government.
North West education spokesman Elias Malindi said the department had not neglected the Matlo-ding community.
"At first the officials we deployed to the area to resolve the problem unfortunately did not get a common ground with the community," Malindi said.
"MEC Wendy Matsemela will be meeting with the community and we believe that everything will go back to normal."
Villagers close only primary
Not a single child in Matloding village in Ratlou municipality, North West, attends school.
The villagers closed their only primary school saying they did not see the point of sending their children to school if they did not have a secondary school to go to later on.
On the first day of the third term last week, villagers blocked all roads leading to Matloding, near the Botswana border.
The community closed Matloding Primary School, saying their drastic action was influenced by the North West department of education's delay to address challenges facing their children.
Matloding older pupils attend secondary school at another village 12km away.
In May this year, pupils from Matloding boycotted school after their schoolmates at Marumoloa Middle School in Tshidilamolomo village told them they were not welcome at their school.
The Matloding pupils travel that far because their village does not have a secondary school. But the children from Tshidi-lamolomo did not welcome them, calling Matloding children "poor people".
Last month Sowetan reported how Matloding children were also beaten up, while others say they were stabbed, by Tshidi-lamolomo pupils.
Now the Matloding community want the province to renovate an unused school at the village and turn it into a secondary school, or build a new structure.
Keboneng Mothelesi, a parent of five children at Matloding Primary, said: "I also want to see my children being successful and educated. It's been too long since the children have been staying at home and government is doing nothing."
Phemelo Matlhaku, a Grade 3 pupil at Matlo-ding, said he wished to go back to school as he wanted to work for the government.
North West education spokesman Elias Malindi said the department had not neglected the Matlo-ding community.
"At first the officials we deployed to the area to resolve the problem unfortunately did not get a common ground with the community," Malindi said.
"MEC Wendy Matsemela will be meeting with the community and we believe that everything will go back to normal."
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