Pupils and staff at an East London primary school have to use stinking pit toilets so old they are decaying.
The 20 pit toilets at Sandisiwe Primary Public School in Newlands near Mdantsane were apparently built in the 1990s, a few years after the school was established in 1991.
They are used by more than 400 pupils and staff.
The deputy chairwoman of school governing body (SGB), Nomzamo Sola, said the toilets were never disinfected or even cleaned because the school did not have a caretaker.
Spokesman for the department of education Loyiso Pulumani said there was a block with plastic toilets that had been erected only two years ago.
Pulumani said the principal had failed to bring the present situation to the attention of the district. “The school does receive a maintenance allocation which can assist with the repairs of the doors as well as non-consumable allocation to purchase the necessary cleaning materials.”
Pulumani said the matter would be followed up with the SGB, principal and circuit manager.
He said an inspection would be conducted at the school today to assess the situation.
When the Dispatch arrived at the school on Wednesday the stench of sewage filled the school corridors.
“We have been begging the department to install flushing toilets, but since our request has fallen on deaf ears we are now requesting a caretaker or cleaner to clean the toilets,” said Sola.
She said in the past, parents and teachers used to pay for disinfectants, with some parents volunteering to clean the pits.
However, parents had stopped volunteering.
“We have never had a caretaker or a cleaner at the school, so the responsibility of cleaning lies with the parents and the pupils,” said Sola.
The two blocks of toilets are less than 10m from the classrooms while the toilets used by staff members, including the principal, are about 4m from the principal’s office.
The girls’ toilet comprises 10 concrete blocks with holes in the centre. In the boys’ block there are 10 plastic bowls without seats.
Locks on the doors are broken and bricks are used to keep them closed. In some toilets the doors are completely missing.
Teachers at the school said the toilets were an embarrassing disgrace.
“This is supposed to be a place of learning, but now it has become a health hazard for everyone, especially the children,” said a teacher. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
Department to inspect school’s reeking toilets
The 20 pit toilets at Sandisiwe Primary Public School in Newlands near Mdantsane were apparently built in the 1990s, a few years after the school was established in 1991.
They are used by more than 400 pupils and staff.
The deputy chairwoman of school governing body (SGB), Nomzamo Sola, said the toilets were never disinfected or even cleaned because the school did not have a caretaker.
Spokesman for the department of education Loyiso Pulumani said there was a block with plastic toilets that had been erected only two years ago.
Pulumani said the principal had failed to bring the present situation to the attention of the district. “The school does receive a maintenance allocation which can assist with the repairs of the doors as well as non-consumable allocation to purchase the necessary cleaning materials.”
Pulumani said the matter would be followed up with the SGB, principal and circuit manager.
He said an inspection would be conducted at the school today to assess the situation.
When the Dispatch arrived at the school on Wednesday the stench of sewage filled the school corridors.
“We have been begging the department to install flushing toilets, but since our request has fallen on deaf ears we are now requesting a caretaker or cleaner to clean the toilets,” said Sola.
She said in the past, parents and teachers used to pay for disinfectants, with some parents volunteering to clean the pits.
However, parents had stopped volunteering.
“We have never had a caretaker or a cleaner at the school, so the responsibility of cleaning lies with the parents and the pupils,” said Sola.
The two blocks of toilets are less than 10m from the classrooms while the toilets used by staff members, including the principal, are about 4m from the principal’s office.
The girls’ toilet comprises 10 concrete blocks with holes in the centre. In the boys’ block there are 10 plastic bowls without seats.
Locks on the doors are broken and bricks are used to keep them closed. In some toilets the doors are completely missing.
Teachers at the school said the toilets were an embarrassing disgrace.
“This is supposed to be a place of learning, but now it has become a health hazard for everyone, especially the children,” said a teacher. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos