TEACHERS at Qalakahle High School in Bhamshela, near KwaMaphumulo, in northern KZN, said instead of building toilets, the department had over supplied sanitary pads.
A teacher said since Monday, pupils have had to leave early because the bucket toilets at the school has were too full to use.
He said the principal has written to the department informing them that it was difficult to continue teaching without toilets.
He said the school has huge supplies of pads but no functioning toilets.
“This is very humiliating. I never thought that after more than 20 years of democracy people would still be forced to relieve themselves in the bush. We heard that the department has no money to build us new toilets yet it has millions to supply sanitary towels to schools.
“In our school we have an over-supply of them. But girls don’t even know where to change their pads because there are no toilets. We demand toilets because we can’t teach without them,” said the teacher.
School governing body chairman, Eric Makhanya said the school has been writing letters to the department since 2016, when Peggy Nkonyeni was still education MEC, but nothing has been done.
Makhanya said the school had pit toilets but they were old and collapsing. He said education officials told the school to demolish them, fearing pupils would fall in and die.
“They brought 12 bucket toilets and promised to build proper ones. The bucket toilets need to be cleaned every week because we have more than 750 pupils. All the toilets are full because the company has not come to clean them since last year,” said Makhanya.
He said he was sick and tired of empty promises and wants to resign from his position.
Education spokesman Kwazi Mthethwa said the department’s infrastructure unit will investigate the matter.
Regarding the supply of sanitary pads, Mthethwa said an investigation had been launched and officials were visiting schools.
