ANGRY, powerless and devastated is what Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Mokgoba felt after witnessing first hand the conditions at under-resourced schools in Transkei.
Mokgoba led a group of academics, authors and activists to raise awareness about the human rights violations in the form of poor school environments and lack of infrastructure in some schools in the province.
The NGO Equal Education (EE) set up the group to “shine a light” on the dire situation most rural children learnt in. The group wants to record the information gathered during their visits to inform Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s first draft of a norms and standards for school infrastructure document.
EE secretary general Brad Brockman said: “ We had an idea about the conditions in these schools but seeing overcrowded classrooms of over 100 pupils, or schools where there are no toilets, or pupils having lessons in people’s rondavels and walking long distances to school – it really was heartbreaking.”
The group visited Samson Junior Secondary School on Thursday, where pupils were taught inside a church made of mud and sticks.
Mokgoba said the situation should not be allowed in terms of the health and safety bylaws or the children’s constitutional rights.
“My overall impression is a very devastated one. Such poor quality infrastructure, unsafe desks hoisted on bricks … Samson was probably the worst case – beams are falling apart inside the structure provided by the church.”
Professor Pierre de Vos was also shocked by the conditions .
“If you are in a rural area and a black child, fulfilling your full potential is dramatically less than if you are a child of a rich parent.
“It is important to continue putting pressure and engage politicians on every quarter. Each child is required to at least be accorded some level of dignity.” —
Activists shocked by rural school conditions
Mokgoba led a group of academics, authors and activists to raise awareness about the human rights violations in the form of poor school environments and lack of infrastructure in some schools in the province.
The NGO Equal Education (EE) set up the group to “shine a light” on the dire situation most rural children learnt in. The group wants to record the information gathered during their visits to inform Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s first draft of a norms and standards for school infrastructure document.
EE secretary general Brad Brockman said: “ We had an idea about the conditions in these schools but seeing overcrowded classrooms of over 100 pupils, or schools where there are no toilets, or pupils having lessons in people’s rondavels and walking long distances to school – it really was heartbreaking.”
The group visited Samson Junior Secondary School on Thursday, where pupils were taught inside a church made of mud and sticks.
Mokgoba said the situation should not be allowed in terms of the health and safety bylaws or the children’s constitutional rights.
“My overall impression is a very devastated one. Such poor quality infrastructure, unsafe desks hoisted on bricks … Samson was probably the worst case – beams are falling apart inside the structure provided by the church.”
Professor Pierre de Vos was also shocked by the conditions .
“If you are in a rural area and a black child, fulfilling your full potential is dramatically less than if you are a child of a rich parent.
“It is important to continue putting pressure and engage politicians on every quarter. Each child is required to at least be accorded some level of dignity.” —
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