Special needs schools lack support staff
SPECIAL schools are those schools which cater for our most vulnerable learners, those who are physically and cognitively challenged.
These learners rely on those around them to cater for their every need.
They come from homes where adequate care cannot be provided due to financial constraints or the absence of a 24-hour caregiver.
The high level of care required by these learners result in a large number of them travelling great distances away from their homes to be enrolled at highly specialised schools, or even residing at boarding facilities at these schools.
The constitution ensures an educational system, which is inclusive, fair and non-discriminatory. But is this the reality on the ground?
According to White paper 6 of 2001, special schools are not only education centres but also centres of care and support.
This support includes medical support required by learners at these schools. Professional nurses are essential members of staff based at these special schools.
Their job is to administer and dispense medication, diagnose and treat learners with outbreaks at hostels, as well as provide specialised care to those learners who require such.
Sad to say, that despite this position being a critical one at special schools, more than half of the schools in the province are without professional nurses.
The department has had a moratorium on all non-educator positions in the province and therapists, nurses and all other support staff posts have not been filled if the position has become vacant due to retirement, resignation or death of the staff member.
The remaining staff are now doubling up as caregivers, have no choice but to dispense medication, even though there may be legal implications to this.
Educators, hostel staff and cleaners are dispensing medication to learners and tending to their basic needs.
This is unsafe, illegal and unfair to both the employees and learners. It is more importantly a gross infringement of their basic human right, their right to medical care and quality education.
The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) has among its members physiotherapists and healthcare workers at these special schools.
These members are our eyes and ears on the ground and continually bring to the attention of our offices the horrific plight of learners at these schools.
One such school, which Naptosa has repeatedly been receiving reports about, is based in Estcourt.
The learners here have various disabilities, including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and in addition many children are epileptic.
There are many children on medication including ARVs, epileptic medication and anti-psychotic drugs among others.
The conditions of many of the children require special nursing care like care of pressure sores, bladder and bowel programmes for incontinent kids, monitoring the frequency of the epileptic fits and the routine treatment of the many minor ailments like scabies, flu, impetigo, ear infections and diarrhoea.
In the absence of a professional nurse, other staff have no choice but to fill the gap despite having no training that qualifies them to do this.
The fact that it is not in their job description and none of the staff have any first aid training are issues which Naptosa continue to address with the Department of Education.
It must also be noted that as per the White paper 6, special schools are accommodating more severely disabled learners than before.
Schools which cater for the hearing impaired function without a professional sign language interpretor.
Assistive devices such as hearing aids and wheelchairs are difficult to access from the department as they are selected off catalogues and may not suit the needs of the learner.
Shocking
Special schools rely heavily on their transport fetching and dropping learners at their homes. Shocking as it may seem, some schools function without these drivers and administrative personnel and even school principals are driving these buses to transport learners to and from school.
Naptosa has a principal in the Empangeni area, who regularly has to double up as a bus driver when his drivers call in sick.
As admirable as this may be, there are legal implications should something go wrong as he is carrying out duties which are not part of his job description.
Receiving support from district offices can be compared to pulling out teeth.
There are no personnel in these offices who understand the functioning and administration of these special schools.
The result is that these schools function totally detached and as separate entities like floating ships that have no safety of the harbour.
While waiting lists never seem to get shorter, the screening method used by the department is so ineffective that learners are incorrectly screened and placed in schools, which may not be suitable for them. This is to the detriment of these vulnerable learners whose condition can deteriorate if not properly supported.
The constitution specifically gives all children the right to “be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation” of any kind and the positive right to “appropriate alternative care when removed from the family environment”. This is the position of children living as boarders in a special school hostel.
Naptosa’s special school portfolio committee comprises staff from special schools, who come together periodically and brainstorm solutions and compile submissions, which are presented to the special needs directorate in the department.
In supporting staff at these schools, Naptosa provides professional development courses, which enable all employees to earn professional development points.
This is a requirement from the Department of Education.
Several meetings with the Human Rights Commission has resulted in a survey being put together, which will be circulated to all special schools in all provinces.
Despite the doom and gloom, as a union our doors are always open to employees who wish to highlight issues at their school.
We need to work together, so that we can aim to be the voice for those who don’t have one.
Although this may be a slow frustrating process in light of the urgency of the situation, it is however a positive step to address the plight of our learners at these schools.
Naptosa believes that a small voice in silence has the same effect as a single candle in a dark room… it is the start which we pledge to commit to until the issues receive some reprieve.