Van Coller Primary School in Mlungisi may not open on Wednesday due to the deplorable state of its ablution facilities, which have been in disrepair since 2006, according to sources.
However, school principal Eddie Valashiya is calling for the provision of temporary toilets instead of closing the school.
The Rep learnt from a Chris Hani West District department of education insider that Van Coller Primary faces the possibility of not opening the new school year is set to start on Wednesday.
On Wednesday this week,The Rep reporters witnessed filthy and broken toilets without water, as well as dry taps at basins.Ceiling boards have also been ripped out in the ablution blocks.
An anonymous insider said the dilapidated and filthy ablution facilities, for both boys and girls, were a health hazard to pupils.
“Some of the children are contracting infections.“As a result, some of the children are using the open field to relieve themselves.”
A woman whose granddaughter is in grade R at the school said: “I instructed my granddaughter to go to a nearby house when she needs the toilet, to never use the school
toilets because their condition is unfriendly to a girl child.”
However, the school’s principal is against any alleged plans to close the school and
stop it from opening on Wednesday, which he believes only the department has the
power to do.
“The department of education is accusing the school of having dirty toilets. However, as the school, we have been making efforts to get them cleaned up,” Valashiya said.
“There is a man who cleans the schools toilets for us. In terms of engaging the department of education on the matter, it’s an exercise we’ve been implementing on aquarterly basis.
The school also faces challenges with burglary; our classrooms’ windows are broken.
“They [the department] should bring temporary toilets for us while the tender process
for the company that restores the toilets is under way,” Valashiya said.
Not opening next week, he said, would result in the school losing pupils, as well as disrupt
the curriculum.
“As far as I know, the school will open on Wednesday; we’ve ordered our textbooks and
stationery, which we’re expecting to receive by next week to kick-start the year,” he said.
The school also felt let down by the community, who had failed to safeguard the school.
Valashiya said the school had grappled with ongoing vandalism due to inadequate fencing to secure it.
Some residents from a nearby informal settlement also trespassed on the premises to
get water from the school during outages. He said the school had engaged with parents and the community about the issue of vandalised toilets multiple
times.
“We had asked for assistance with fencing, for us to come together to put stones, however, nobody came forward to assist us.
“The major setback was the community’s lack of effort in ensuring the school is guarded,”
said a frustrated Valashiya.
Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the department was busy dealing
with the matter.
However, it is unclear when and how the department will resolve the matter since schools
are set to reopen on Wednesday.
The post Toilet horror awaits Van Coller Primary pupils next week first appeared on The Rep.
