Floating desks, thick mud and flooded grounds were among the sights that greeted education officials who visited some of the more than 600 schools affected by torrential rains that caused devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal eight days ago.

On Tuesday basic education minister Angie Motshekga and provincial education MEC Kwazi Mshengu visited schools to assess the impact of the floods, the consequences for teaching and learning and the infrastructure that would need to be repaired.

At Brettonwood High School, Motshekga was horrified to see some classrooms thick with mud, damaged desks and chairs in pools of water and flooded common areas outside the buildings after the the nearby Umbilo River burst its banks..