Police probing arson case after fire rips through Riverlea Secondary School

Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile said police are investigating a case of arson following a fire that ripped through Riverlea Secondary School. 

The blaze erupted on Tuesday night, ahead of the return of pupils and staff from the Easter holidays.

Three classrooms, a laboratory and the school library have been gutted. This is the third fire incident to wreck the school.

While teaching and learning continued on Wednesday morning, staff and pupils have had to contend with a the lingering smell of smoke.

Roofs have melted and collapsed, and desks have burnt to their skeletons, with the wooden tops completely consumed by the blaze.

A total of 320 grade 8 and 9 pupils whose classrooms were left damaged have been temporarily placed at the school hall. 

Maile said the recurring fires at the school are concerning.

"There's a pattern, but there's also a problem of crime, not just here in the school but in the community and it ends up affecting the school."

He assured that learning will not be disrupted as a clean-up operation takes place in the coming days.