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Prisoners and parolees in the Eastern Cape are doing their bit to prepare schools for the 2014 school year.
The Department of Correctional Services says its Back to School Campaign is well underway where inmates and parolees have been dispatched to cut the grass, paint schools and carry out minor repair work.
Eastern Cape provincial commissioner, Nkosinathi Breakfast, says the Department believes it cannot sit back and fold its arms while the province's children do not have proper schooling facilities.
He says the programme also ties in with the Department's rehabilitation of offendors.
"Currently, offenders and probationers are hard at work in schools around the province. as part and parcel of enhancing interaction between communities and correctional centres, creating an environment for sustainable social re-integration of offenders on their release," said Breakfast.
"We cannot sit back and fold our arms when our children do not have proper facilities for learning. We are fully aware of the importance of the safety of learners and thus are doing our best to prevent injuries due to hazardous school structures. As the Department we want learners to start learning from day one and not become delayed because they have to clean the school," he added.
Some of the schools that were repaired and renovated in 2012 and 2013 include the Tsholomqa High School, Siyabonga Senior Secondary School; Nobuntu Senior Primary School, Hebron Primary School as well as George Mqalo Senior Secondary School.
"This is the first phase of the programme which culminates at the end of February 2014.The Department however will continue with the Ministerial Programmes to renovate and repair schools in the province as well as to repair and donate desks to various schools around the country," said Commissioner Breakfast.
He said no dangerous prisoners are used on the programme.
