More than 100 pupils from a school near Libode are crammed together, with different grades forced to share the same room.The Grade R class at Dingilizwe Senior Primary School in Mdlankomo location is not only used to teach the younger pupils, but is also used as a staffroom, principal’s office and storeroom.
Principal Ntuthuzelo Jameson said the lack of proper infrastructure was particularly strenuous during bad weather.
He said there are no toilets and kids have to relieve themselves outside.
Classroom windows are broken and the school is not fenced.
“Classrooms are small and over-occupied, making it difficult to manoeuvre so much that pupils have to walk on top of desks to go to or from the loo ,” said Jameson.
A pupil at the school said not having any toilets was a problem, especially for girls during the menstrual cycle.
One girl said she waited until school was out and changed at home.
“Because I’m holding the urine my period pains worsens and I can’t concentrate in the class,” she said.
Jameson said he has approached the department of education numerous times.
He claimed being told to write a letter and take photos of the school, but nothing has happened.
Jameson said he was also unsuccessful in getting prefabs from the department.
Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said: “The department is in consultation with the stakeholders of the school to have their buy-in on tabled proposals, which relate to rationalisation and realignment of the school.”
Mtima said because there was a functional state-of-the-art school nearby, at some stage there will be an understanding between the two communities to join the other school.
The inadequate sanitation at Dingilizwe Senior Primary School has caused tensions between the school and residents.
Tempers flared last week when angry residents demanded that Jameson order pupils to collect dirty papers, which pupils used to wipe themselves.
The papers had blown where children relieved themselves to the residents’ homes. “Those papers are not marked who used them, so now a pupil would collect papers that was not used by them.
“You can imagine how they must have felt about collecting another child’s faeces.”
Resident and parent Nobubele Gxara confirmed going to the school. “Yes we demanded that he tells the pupils to collect the soiled papers from our yards,” said Gxara.
However, it seems that the paper situation is not the only problems that has been irritating the residents concerning the school
“To walk in the street is a challenge because some of the pupils are very young so they relieve themselves anywhere,” said Gxara.
100 pupils crammed in class
Principal Ntuthuzelo Jameson said the lack of proper infrastructure was particularly strenuous during bad weather.
He said there are no toilets and kids have to relieve themselves outside.
Classroom windows are broken and the school is not fenced.
“Classrooms are small and over-occupied, making it difficult to manoeuvre so much that pupils have to walk on top of desks to go to or from the loo ,” said Jameson.
A pupil at the school said not having any toilets was a problem, especially for girls during the menstrual cycle.
One girl said she waited until school was out and changed at home.
“Because I’m holding the urine my period pains worsens and I can’t concentrate in the class,” she said.
Jameson said he has approached the department of education numerous times.
He claimed being told to write a letter and take photos of the school, but nothing has happened.
Jameson said he was also unsuccessful in getting prefabs from the department.
Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said: “The department is in consultation with the stakeholders of the school to have their buy-in on tabled proposals, which relate to rationalisation and realignment of the school.”
Mtima said because there was a functional state-of-the-art school nearby, at some stage there will be an understanding between the two communities to join the other school.
The inadequate sanitation at Dingilizwe Senior Primary School has caused tensions between the school and residents.
Tempers flared last week when angry residents demanded that Jameson order pupils to collect dirty papers, which pupils used to wipe themselves.
The papers had blown where children relieved themselves to the residents’ homes. “Those papers are not marked who used them, so now a pupil would collect papers that was not used by them.
“You can imagine how they must have felt about collecting another child’s faeces.”
Resident and parent Nobubele Gxara confirmed going to the school. “Yes we demanded that he tells the pupils to collect the soiled papers from our yards,” said Gxara.
However, it seems that the paper situation is not the only problems that has been irritating the residents concerning the school
“To walk in the street is a challenge because some of the pupils are very young so they relieve themselves anywhere,” said Gxara.
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