Clean up this school, Panyaza

Aschool is supposed to be a place of learning and teaching, where our children can prepare for a better future. It should also provide for the fullest possible development of each pupil to live morally, creatively and proactively in society. But what is happening at Hoërskool Die Burger, as reported in Saturday Citizen, sounds like a script of a horror movie. It is not surprising this institution – situated in the southwest of Johannesburg in the suburb of White Ridge – has been dubbed “high school of horror”.

The school is in a very bad state. The walls have been vandalised and sections of the school are closed off, with palisade fencing and steel bars welded shut, including a number of classrooms.

The playgrounds are littered with anything from sweet papers to plastic baggies in which drugs are allegedly sold, as well as empty beer and spirit bottles.

Former pupils and teachers tell of not having textbooks or enough teachers, of pupils being attacked with pipes, and drug abuse. There are apparently no consequences for ill-discipline at this school.

As one pupil puts it: “Smoking dagga is like drinking water in this school. Behind the small white house by the netball field is where they go to smoke dagga or have sex. They also do it in the empty classrooms.”

There are people living in some of the classrooms, and they claim they have a contract to stay there. One claims to be an employee of the school and cannot be expected to pay rent, as the school has not paid him for months.

While the school governing body has blamed these people for the shocking situation at the school, these apparent squatters have, in turn, accused pupils of being the main culprits in the mess.

That’s why the Gauteng MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi needs to urgently intervene.

The school must focus on learning and teaching in a conducive environment. It must be cleaned, a permanent principal appointed and people who have no permission to reside at the premises evicted.