508 E Cape schools have no toilets, 1,598 use pit latrines
Shock findings by education group show thousands of pupils at mercy of Covid-19
In the midst of a deadly pandemic, thousands of Eastern Cape schoolchildren do not have access to a regular water supply and toilets — and their pleas for help are heartbreaking.
Shocking findings from two surveys conducted by education lobby group Equal Education (EE) between May and July reflect not only the desperate circumstances at hundreds of schools, but also the hopelessness felt by pupils and principals.
According to figures which EE obtained through correspondence with the department of education, 756 schools in the province have an inconsistent water supply, 508 have no toilets and 1,598 rely on pit latrines.
But what is even more disturbing than these figures are the voices of the pupils themselves.
EEs Eastern Cape organiser Itumeleng Mothlabane said the “learner-centred” surveys gave a “deeper” look into the nature of the challenges pupils faced at school.
“The statistics on poor sanitation and broken down infrastructure at schools may be well known, but these surveys have placed a spotlight onto the lived experiences of some learners.”
The surveys were accompanied by letters from a number of pupils who “expressed their disappointment in the department of education’s inaction in fixing their schools”.
Motlhabane said: “One pupil wrote how disappointed they were that they had to be subjected to dilapidated infrastructure, no water and no toilets to get an education.
“A pupil at a Dimbaza school told a grim story of how there were no flushing toilets at their school. One pupil said they had hoped the fixing of schools would’ve taken priority during the pandemic.”
Molthlobane said the surveys painted a clear picture of despondency levels at Eastern Cape schools.
The surveys compiled by EE were a part of a memorandum on the readiness of schools, which was handed over to the department of education on Tuesday.
“The memorandum was handed over to the deputy head of the department on behalf of the office of the superintendentgeneral. We have given them a two-week response period. They said they would try their best to respond by then,” she said.
The memorandum listed a number of schools in “dire” need of assistance from the department.
Jekezi Secondary School in Ngqamakhwe has no source of water, Baleni Senior Secondary in Bizana has “very poor” infrastructure, Vukile Tshwete Senior Secondary in Keiskammahoek has “no form of” sanitation and depends on pit toilets. “Thembalabantu High
School in Zwelitsha, which is located right in front of the department of education offices, has one tap which works in the entire school,” Mothlobane said.
Mothlobane said EE’s call was for the department to make sure that all schools are safe for pupils.
“Eighty percent of the learners we spoke to said they wanted to go back to school. Many of them are unable to continue with virtual learning at home and they receive a nutritious meal by going to school.”
“Learners we spoke to said they were anxious at home and worried about their safety. Schools need to be a safe space for learners.”
The first survey was carried out at national level, where there were 484 responses, of which 124 responses came from the Eastern Cape. The next involved only school principals, of which nine are from the province. EE did not provide the Dispatch with the total number of principals surveyed.
On Wednesday night there was still no word from the department of basic education on whether schools would again be closed, but the Dispatch understands that minister Angie Motshekga was locked in meetings with teacher unions, all of which have called for classes to be suspended.
Reacting to the EE surveys, Eastern Cape CEO of the National Principals and Teacher Association of SA (Naptosa), Loyiso Mbinda said: “It’s very unfortunate that these statistics on the poor condition of Eastern Cape schools is so high.
“In November 2013, Equal Education, at a national level, took the department of basic education to court because of such matters. Their plea was that the norms and standards would be met at all schools. It is shocking that the department has failed to honour that.”
Mbinda said pupils in these schools were expected to attend class when sanitation was compromised, “yet the virus emphasises on health matters”.
Eastern Cape UDM MPL
Mncedisi Filtane said it was criminal to send pupils back to schools with no consistent water supply. “Learners spend up to eight hours a day at school having to absorb information. Water is needed for functional brain activity. Now when water is a scarcity, how do you expect learners to be fully functional academically?”