THE Eastern Cape Department of Education held a media briefing at Victoria Park High School in Gqeberha on Friday, 31 March.
During the briefing, Eastern Cape Education MEC, Fundile Gade, spoke about the department's success in improving infrastructure in the province while also addressing the issue of pit toilets.
The MEC was joined by the head of department, Mahlubandile Qwase.
Gade said research by the department indicated that at least 1 500 out 6 000 schools in the country do not have proper ablution facilities.
He said the department had plans to address these issues through a Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Progamme, but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed developments.
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Gade said because of this, the province suffered a backlog, but they are now able to put plans into motion.
“Currently, we have been able to produce and secure not less than 1 000 of those schools out of the 1 500 we identified as having a backlog. Some of them have been created through the infrastructure grant that the minister has given to the province.
“Out of that we have 39 schools which we have built,” he said.
On Sunday, 26 March, Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, also held a briefing where she assured the public that they were working around the clock to build appropriate infrastructure in schools.
This would also mean the eradication of pit toilets.
But Gade questioned government's approach on the matter.
“Once you speak eradication of pit latrines you should start by asking if you have bulk infrastructure system in rural areas. If the answer is no, then how will you connect what ever kind of toilet design you wish to introduce in the absence of the bulk infrastructure system?
“I have never seen a village in this country that has a bulk infrastructure, hence I am saying that this is a very sensitive debate which requires the Department of Rural Development, Department of Human Settlements, Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Education,” he said.
Gade added that the province has started building more hostel facilities and continues to curb challenges brought by scholar transport amidst recent floods in St Port John.
According to Qwase, the recent floods made it hard for scholar transport to access villages.
"Pupils were unable to cross and go to school and those who depended on transport had to walk longer distances because scholar transport could not navigate those roads,” said Qwase.
He said a plan of action to ensure affected pupils catch up with school work was in place.
“Grade 12 pupils in those affected schools will be placed in one area to catch up. When schools reopen after Easter, other grades will incorporate those catch up plans into their day to day work, either early in the morning or with extra classes,” he said.
The department has vowed to continue with their beautification programme.
According to Gade, this includes migrating two schools per district to smart classrooms using technical school.
“The department secured 80 single combination desks per 188 schools at a cost of R60 million.
“We have also identified that there is a shortage of furniture in our schools. There must be no kid in this province who sits on a crate of beer in school,” he said.
