The death of 18-year-old Shaun Moropjane during a Grade 12 study camp in Limpopo has cast a harsh light on the growing use of “boot camps” and residential matric programmes across South Africa — initiatives meant to boost performance, but now under scrutiny over supervision, safety, living conditions and whether pupils are being pressured to attend.
Shaun, a Grade 12 pupil from Ngwanakwena Senior Secondary School in Dennilton, Limpopo, collapsed on 2 July while attending a matric study camp hosted at Kalakeng Primary School. He later died at a nearby clinic. His mother, Veronica Moropjane, has alleged that when he fell ill there were no teachers in sight — and that she only learnt what was happening through other parents and the clinic, not from school staff.
“I am so frustrated. I’m not blaming anybody for my son’s death, but I’m thinking if there was an adult nearby, maybe my son could still have been alive if he had got help fast,” she said.
Shaun’s death, and the questions that followed, have become a focal point in a broader national debate: whether camps that keep pupils away from home for long hours — and in some cases for months — are properly regulated, adequately staffed and compatible with children’s rights.
Veronica said she was initially opposed to sending Shaun to the camp. Her concern was practical and deeply personal: she says pupils were not allowed to keep their cellphones, making it difficult for parents to contact them. She ultimately agreed because, she said, the school told her the camp was compulsory.
When Shaun began complaining of pain, she said the first call did not come from a teacher or the camp’s management — but from another parent, whose child was among the pupils who tried to get Shaun help.
I first received a call from a parent whose child was among those who helped carry my child to the clinic. She said my son was not okay, and he was holding his stomach, saying he had pain and cramps.
“I asked myself where the teachers are because they have my contact details.”
She then received a second call from the clinic saying Shaun was in a critical condition. Minutes later, she said, another call followed: Shaun had died. She asked the camp to bring his belongings to the clinic.
“When I reached the clinic, the staff member from the camp was standing at the door. He told me when they told him my son was not okay, he never thought it was serious.”
Her grief is now compounded by anger and the sense that responsibility was blurred in the crucial moments. She said she expected the camp system to keep her child safe.
I left my son in the school’s hands, and the system has failed him.
Shaun was due to be buried over the weekend, but the funeral was postponed while the family and authorities awaited postmortem results — information that could clarify what caused his collapse and whether any underlying medical condition was involved.
A pupil who helped carry Shaun into the clinic told News24 that after the teenager collapsed, he and two classmates carried him into the staffroom, where they encountered delays and confusion rather than immediate adult intervention.
“We spoke to a man whom I think was the administrative clerk, who said we should wait for the centre manager. He tried calling the centre manager, but he did not answer.
“We shouted at the administrative clerk to take us to the clinic. I told him this is an emergency. We shouted at him until he agreed to take us.”
Limpopo education department spokesperson Mike Maringa did not respond directly to questions about the claim that there was no teacher present to assist Shaun. He said the department wanted to give Veronica “space to grieve in private”.
“Losing a child is painful, and we would plead that she be given space. Any other matter will be dealt with at a later stage.”
On the allegation that no teacher assisted, Maringa said: “our learners are resting”.
“We will treat them as allegations. We have a report from the school on what transpired on the day, and anything contrary to the report will be attended to as soon as it comes to our attention.”
He said the camp was closed after Shaun’s death because pupils were not in a good state of mind. He also defended the broader approach.
“We are of the view that the intervention camps are assisting our learners,” he said.
While Shaun’s death has raised urgent questions about emergency response and supervision, accounts from other provinces show that conditions at some camps are also being questioned — including cramped sleeping arrangements, privacy, food, sanitation and sleep deprivation.
In the Eastern Cape, a Grade 12 pupil from Ulwazi High School in KuGumpo said she would not attend another camp after her marks dropped following the school’s winter camp. She described sleeping conditions that left learners cold and exposed, and a daily routine that she said was physically draining.
She said she and 34 other girls slept on sponge mattresses, side by side, in a cold classroom converted into a makeshift dormitory. They used plastic sheets and old newspapers to cover broken windowpanes. She said they had to bathe in the same room because of a shortage of bathrooms and alleged they studied until 01:00 and woke at 04:00 to bathe.
There was literally no privacy. I was sleep-deprived, and I felt exhausted. The food wasn’t good. We were eating samp and beans probably three times a week.
Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Mali Mtima said schools were provided with menus as a guide and that the department would investigate the allegation about samp being served three times a week. He said the classroom accommodation was a temporary measure agreed to by parents and the school.
“Sharing accommodation is meant to propel personal relations, inculcating group work and promoting sharing of notes to ensure all learners are geared for the next exams.”
Mtima said the winter classes were voluntary “to ensure those who need support are properly prepared”.
“Some of these newly raised issues will be considered and addressed to ensure that camps bring a better experience to learners.”
Not all schools report negative feedback. Mawabo Silekwa, principal of Ngubesizwe Secondary School in Ngcobo, said most of his 157 Grade 12 pupils — who have been camping in 13 classrooms since 14 February — were enjoying the programme. The school has hosted residential camps since 2015 and charges parents R500 a month per pupil for meals. Pupils wake at 04:30, the school day runs from 07:00 to 17:00, evening classes from 19:00 to 21:00, and weekend classes from 09:00 to 15:30.
“One learner told me he doesn’t see the need for the school to release them for one weekend a month to go home. He said pupils could use that time to study at school.”
Education experts argue the model can work, but only under strict conditions. Professor Jonathan Jansen of Stellenbosch University said he supported away-from-school camps that combine novelty, inspirational speakers and “undisturbed support from especially math and science teachers”.
My students whom I help love this. It is light, not draconian, and for many who live in crowded council homes without Wi-Fi, this is a wonderful space in which to live and learn. The horror stories from a few school camps must not distract from their value, if well-managed, for what I suspect is the majority of learners.
Professor Vimolan Mudaly of the University of KwaZulu-Natal questioned whether quarantined camps reflect deeper problems in the schooling system.
“If schools are functioning well and teachers are effective, why would there be a need for these quarantined school camps?
“This might also be instigated by the pass rate figures that drive our education system. It seems that we have lost the idea of real teaching and learning. We now attempt to impress everyone with higher pass rates.”
He said venues and conditions matter.
“Learning can only occur if children are comfortable enough in a caring environment.”
Fedsas deputy CEO Juané van der Merwe-Mocke warned that programmes effectively confining children to school day and night for months raise “serious legal and educational concerns”.
“These learners remain children in many instances, and their best interests must be the paramount consideration in every decision affecting them.
“They are entitled not only to education, but also to dignity, safety, adequate care, proper nutrition, suitable sleeping and sanitation facilities, reasonable rest and continued contact with their parents or caregivers.”
She emphasised that participation must be genuinely voluntary.
“Participation should be genuinely voluntary, based on informed parental consent and, importantly, the views of the learners themselves.
“A learner should not be threatened with academic disadvantage or exclusion for refusing to participate.”
And where pupils sleep at school for extended periods, she said, accountability must be clear.
“Learners cannot be expected to sacrifice their dignity, health and basic well-being in the name of academic performance.
“Poor food, unhygienic preparation, inadequate ablution facilities, sleeping in classrooms and insufficient rest are not simply logistical shortcomings; they point to a failure to provide conditions that are safe, humane and conducive to learning.”
As Shaun’s family waits for postmortem results and Limpopo officials weigh allegations about supervision, his death has become a painful test case for a wider policy trend: how to support learners under pressure without compromising safety, dignity and basic care — and whether any educational gains can ever justify the risk when systems fail.
