Eastern Cape schools are going to extreme lengths to be ready for the reopening of schools on Monday because they have received little to no assistance from the provincial education department.
Fears over a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been realised despite the department backtracking on an earlier announcement that schools would be expected to procure their own PPE in the first term.
Some representatives DispatchLIVE spoke to on Wednesday said their schools not only had to pay for their own PPE, but for water as well.
They said they had done all they could to ensure a safe learning and teaching environment on Monday. But they questioned whether it was enough.
The DA said teachers were unable to update any information for the year because of a delay in the rollout of essential computer information.
MPL Yusuf Cassim, who sits on the provincial education portfolio committee, said: “The department of education in the Eastern Cape has still not released the latest patch for the SA School Administration Management System.
“Not only does this platform allow schools to update information of learners, but it is used to assign learners to subject areas, advertise vacancies, place important notices and so on.”
Cassim said as a result the return of teachers and other staff to prepare for the year had been “hamstrung”.
The last update from the site administrator was November 22.
Nonthsa Zoya, a school governing body (SGB) member at Makhazi Public School in Kwelerha, just east of East London, said the school had used its own budget to maintain its temporary toilets and the only reason the school had water was because of the recent rains.
When water ran out the school had to purchase it with no help from the department, she said.
“We bought stationery and PPE with school money, which has compromised the budget. We only have some leftover cleaning supplies and very little PPE from last year.”
Greenpoint Secondary School in East London has had to rely on sponsorships from the public to procure PPE.
SGB member Leon Cassels said the department had made an “initial” provision last year but since then the school had used its own money to secure PPE.
“This means as a school we have had to put certain projects on a back burner to be able to redirect funds,” Cassels said.
Saziso Mfundisi, the principal of Mvume Springs Primary in Port St Johns, admitted there would be significant challenges come Monday.
Shortages of masks and stationery, as well as teachers, were his main problems.
“There simply is no budget. We gave learners masks last year when they left but we don't know if they will still have those masks when they return,” Mfundisi said.
DispatchLIVE reported in January the department of education had made a U-turn on its decision not to provide PPE for schools in the first term. It announced that R24.1m had become available for this purpose.
On Wednesday, DispatchLIVE sent questions to department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima about the readiness of Eastern Cape schools.
Mtima said MEC Fundile Gade would address parliament's standing committee on the province's status on Thursday afternoon.
Late last week the national portfolio committee on basic education expressed concern over the state of readiness for the reopening of schools in the Eastern Cape.
The committee cited shortages of learner and teacher support material in some schools as a concern, including textbooks and teacher vacancies.
Mtima said Gade would address those concerns during the meeting.
Tobela Madubela, SGB treasurer at St Johns College in Mthatha, said the school was ready to welcome pupils on Monday and PPE shortages would be topped up by the SGB.
Madubela said this was not budgeted for and there would be a deviation from the school's expenditure.
Garth Shaw, principal of Dale College in King William’s Town, said his school was dealing with an influx of admissions and teacher transfers due to Covid-19.
Shaw said staff had done their best to make sure the school was ready to open on Monday.
However, Shaw said, it was “frustrating” to work with the department as administrative work such as teacher transfer letters had not been processed.
Ben Chetty, principal of East London Secondary School said: “We are ready. But education assistants and general assistants have still not been paid.
“We might have problems with them if they don't pitch up for work on Monday.”
DispatchLIVE
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