Picture: Nthapelang Primary School in Matolong village
By OBAKENG MAJE
South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region has slammed the North West Department of Education after Taung DailyNews exposed the dire situation at Nthapelang Primary School in Matolong village, near Taung, where toilets were used as classrooms.
SANCO provincial spokesperson, Mzukisi Jam said they are deeply concerned with strong displeasure regarding the decision taken by the school principal and the School Governing Body (SGB) at the school to repurpose toilets as classrooms. Jam further said this decision made due to a shortage of classrooms, is not only unacceptable but also creates an unconducive environment for the learners.
“The situation also infringes upon their basic human rights. The start of the 2024 academic year in the province has witnessed an overwhelming surge in the number of learners, exacerbating the issue of overcrowded schools.
“It is disheartening to note that year after year, little to nothing is being done by the provincial government to address and resolve the persistent problem of classroom shortages. The Nthapelang Primary School is equipped with only six classrooms and is forced to accommodate 220 learners, spanning from Grade R to Grade 7,” he said.
Jam added that the amalgamation of Grade R and Grade 1, as well as Grade 5 and 6 at the school, further exacerbates the challenge. He said during discussions with the Head of the School, it was disclosed that the SGB, parents, and school management collectively agreed to convert an unused toilet into a classroom due to the underutilization of the pit ablution block.
“We are profoundly dismayed and raise concerns about how the department allowed the situation to escalate to a point, where the school principal felt compelled to make such a decision. This suggests a concerning lack of proactive intervention by the district office and the department in addressing the alarming incident at schools, particularly, at Nthapelang Primary School.
“This unfortunate circumstance not only burdens teachers and principals with immense pressure but, more importantly, compromises the quality of education provided to the learners. We are wondering whether the district office was aware of the school’s dire situation of shortage of classrooms,” he said.
Jam said they anticipate that, the department should have prioritised this matter and taken steps to ensure that, the school prevented the repurposing of toilets as classrooms. He said such actions compromise the integrity of the department.
Meanwhile, the North West Department of Education spokesperson, Mphata Molokwane said: “The recent situation at the school, where toilets were unfortunately used as classrooms has been addressed. Upon learning of the situation, the department immediately dispatched officials to the school to resolve the issue and on the next day, learners were back to their normal classrooms.
“The department found that the principal committed a serious mistake by utilizing the toilets as classrooms even when the school had enough classrooms for learning and teaching. The department also found that, the principal made another error of taking teachers from neighbouring schools.”
Molokwane said the principal acted universally by transferring teachers to his school. He said it is important to clarify that, the situation was immediately rectified as soon as the department became aware of and all learners are back in proper classrooms.
The Guardian 