TEACHING hungry and tired pupils is a challenge for teachers at Esokheni High School in eMakhabeleni Village, outside Greytown in KZN.
This is according to the school’s head of department, Nkosinathi Ngubane.
Looking for help for pupils
Ngubane told Daily Sun that the challenge is that many pupils walk long distances to school.
“We're pleased as I've heard from induna (Jabulani Bhengu) that the community leaders have applied for scholar transport because pupils come to school tired and unable to learn.
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"The same applies when they go back home. We give them homework which they are unable to do because when they arrive, they're already exhausted,” he said.
He said they'll be happy if pupils are helped with transport to various places.
“They walk long distances, more than 10 kilometres to come to school. That impacts negatively on the results, especially matric results. We need to get good results. But how can we get good results when pupils are unable to concentrate properly during school hours?” he said.
Impact on results
He said the school wants to achieve 100% pass rate, but it's difficult to achieve this as pupils are always tired.
“We're trying despite these challenges. We are almost there. We're currently at 78% or 79%. We have the potential to achieve 100% if we are helped with transport so that pupils come to school fresh and with energy so that they're able to learn and concentrate. Same when they go back home. They can do their schoolwork and not have to walk long distances,” he said.
Exposed to danger
Ngubane said pupils are also exposed to danger as there are wild animals in the bushes they walk in.
He said some pupils drop out of school while others are removed from the school by their parents.
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He said that this also affects the school because if it loses pupil, it loses teachers as well.
The late president Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
Unfortunately, the children of eMakhabeleni are being deprived of this weapon.
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