Five young girls have between February and last month been diagnosed with fungal infections because they have had to use filthy, blocked toilets at Charles Morgan School in Ginsberg.
Pupils had also not received their government-funded meals for three weeks.
The Eastern Cape education department only deposited the R125000 for the nutritional programme last week.
The school, which was built in the 1970s, was meant for only three grades but has since extended to cater for Grade R to 12.
The girls, who have contracted infections from using the filthy toilets, are in the junior grades.
The blocked toilets are full of faeces and do not flush, while the floors are covered in dirty and foul-smelling water.
Some toilets have no seats.
In an interview, one of the girls’ mothers said her 12-year-old daughter had been traumatised after being diagnosed with an infection.
The mother said she was shocked to discover that her child had picked up the infection at school – an environment which should be hygienically safe for children.
Because of the infection, the girl had become withdrawn, the mother said.
“I have never thought I would be dealing with this kind of a situation so early in my child’s life.
“I feared for her and was extremely worried on how she would handle the situation especially around her peers.
“The whole situation has been a challenge to the entire family,” she said.
The mother was speaking during the EFF’s oversight visit to the school.
The EFF’s Mziyanda Ntlekiso, who led the group to the school visit, said the school had been a valuable asset in the community and had a rich legacy that needed to be preserved.
Unfortunately, he said the school’s management systems had collapsed.
“We have been getting reports about the infrastructure of the school but it became quite serious when we heard that children were getting ill.
“We are here to assist not to fight.
“We hope that by being here the staff and the department can use the opportunity to better the children’s lives,” Ntlekiso said.
The group also claimed that there had been gross mismanagement of school funds.
Provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said more than R125000 had been deposited to the school for its nutritional programme. “The funds were transferred last week,” he said.
In relation to the ailing school infrastructure, Mtima said the department was in consultation with the school on how to mitigate the infrastructure challenges.
“It is sad that children are now becoming victims of unkept facilities.
“We are going to look into the allegations seriously and act immediately,” Mtima promised. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
Young pupils infected due to repulsive loos
Pupils had also not received their government-funded meals for three weeks.
The Eastern Cape education department only deposited the R125000 for the nutritional programme last week.
The school, which was built in the 1970s, was meant for only three grades but has since extended to cater for Grade R to 12.
The girls, who have contracted infections from using the filthy toilets, are in the junior grades.
The blocked toilets are full of faeces and do not flush, while the floors are covered in dirty and foul-smelling water.
Some toilets have no seats.
In an interview, one of the girls’ mothers said her 12-year-old daughter had been traumatised after being diagnosed with an infection.
The mother said she was shocked to discover that her child had picked up the infection at school – an environment which should be hygienically safe for children.
Because of the infection, the girl had become withdrawn, the mother said.
“I have never thought I would be dealing with this kind of a situation so early in my child’s life.
“I feared for her and was extremely worried on how she would handle the situation especially around her peers.
“The whole situation has been a challenge to the entire family,” she said.
The mother was speaking during the EFF’s oversight visit to the school.
The EFF’s Mziyanda Ntlekiso, who led the group to the school visit, said the school had been a valuable asset in the community and had a rich legacy that needed to be preserved.
Unfortunately, he said the school’s management systems had collapsed.
“We have been getting reports about the infrastructure of the school but it became quite serious when we heard that children were getting ill.
“We are here to assist not to fight.
“We hope that by being here the staff and the department can use the opportunity to better the children’s lives,” Ntlekiso said.
The group also claimed that there had been gross mismanagement of school funds.
Provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said more than R125000 had been deposited to the school for its nutritional programme. “The funds were transferred last week,” he said.
In relation to the ailing school infrastructure, Mtima said the department was in consultation with the school on how to mitigate the infrastructure challenges.
“It is sad that children are now becoming victims of unkept facilities.
“We are going to look into the allegations seriously and act immediately,” Mtima promised. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
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