Department can learn from Gift of the Givers

Two schools with different stories to tell, but both face the same problem — the department of education has failed them. While Paterson High School pupils rejoiced on Wednesday thanks to the assistance of Gift of the Givers, parents staged a protest at Vukanibantu Primary School. Seven new classrooms, an AstroTurf, netball court and a new borehole system were handed over to Paterson High. During a visit by Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman in October last year when a borehole was sunk, he recognised other needs of the school.

This led to its dramatic transformation — in just seven months — with the help of Gift of the Givers and several donors. They should be applauded as the department failed to fix a wing of the Schauderville school that was gutted by fire in 2015.

Just 24km away, books and stationery are stolen regularly, and teachers are robbed of their belongings at Vukanibantu Primary. Faeces are also smeared on walls, classrooms are used as toilets by vagrants and a decomposing body was recently found.

Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said officials were aware of the issues plaguing the school’s day-to-day operations.

“The school is receiving attention from the department,” Mtima said.

We have heard this story before and know the problems will not be fixed by the department any time soon.

In the same vein, but at Paterson, Nelson Mandela Bay district education director Ernest Gorgonzola said the department acknowledged its partners.

“This is the foundation for how education can be built,” he said. “With partnerships like this, we are able to sustain what we have and renew what we have.”

Gorgonzola and Mtima should be ashamed of their comments as they are just a cop-out.

It is the department’s job to fix schools and ensure pupils have the necessary materials to learn.

And if Gift of the Givers managed to fix Paterson in seven months, the department should be able to do the same for Vukanibantu.

It is not rocket science as Gift of the Givers showed it is possible to put pupils first.