Parents at a dilapidated Eastern Cape primary school have twice dug into their meagre social grants to repair storm-damaged classrooms after waiting more than five years for government intervention.
Ngqusi JSS in Centane has been in a dire state since strong winds in 2019 ripped the roofs off four classrooms, forcing pupils to squeeze into the remaining classrooms, with some grades sharing classes.
Parents say the situation worsened when the roof of the school toilets was also blown away shortly afterwards.
Frustrated by the lack of progress from the department of education, parents contributed as little as R50 each — and in some cases more — to buy material to repair the damaged classrooms themselves.
But due to financial constraints, they only managed to repair two classrooms and even those continue to leak when it rains.
School governing body treasurer Albert Gweja said parents had approached the district education office at least seven times without success.
“We are planning to go to Bhisho now. That is the decision we took in our last meeting,” Gweja said.
“Maybe when we go there we will be told something tangible because as things stand we have reported to the district office seven times already and nothing happens.”
The school caters for pupils from grade RR to grade 7.
Gweja said the remaining block where some grades shared classrooms was also unsafe because it still had an asbestos roof.
“We were told that roof would be changed because it poses health risks to the children, but nothing has happened,” he said.
We are buying material with money from our social grants as people are not working here
— Albert Gweja, school governing body treasurer
Gweja said the school, which once accommodated pupils up to grade 9, was built by parents in the 1970s because schools were far from the area.
“It seems like we are not cared for because every time we go to the department offices they tell us they heard us but nothing is happening.
“Even the two classes we managed to fix leak when it rains because of poor workmanship.
“We are buying material with money from our social grants as people are not working here.
“We fixed the same roof in 2023 and again in 2024 but it still leaks and we are planning to put in more money because with the bad weather we fear the whole school could be severely damaged.”
He said enrolment at the school had declined because of the poor infrastructure.
“We have more than 140 pupils excluding grade R and RR, but because of the conditions numbers keep declining.
“Other schools in the same area are properly built while ours already existed.
“It’s only ours that the department is not building. Maybe the department wants to close it,” he said.
Gweja said many parents could not afford transport costs to send their children to schools further away.
“Most people are unemployed here and there is no scholar transport to take children to other schools,” he said.
The school also faced teacher shortages, forcing some teachers to teach multiple grades.
“We will band together again and fix what we can because children don’t go to school when it rains,” Gweja said.
“But we want the government to fix the school because we don’t have that power.
“We envy other properly built schools. Schools like Khobonqaba, Masizame, Mnyaka and Hosiki have been properly built.
“We are pleading for the same”
Another parent, Malusi Gweja, who attended the school in the 1970s, said little had changed over the decades.
“The school is very dilapidated. It is a laughing stock because it’s the only one in this area in this condition.
“I went to school there. It was in a bad condition then in the 1970s and it is still in a bad state today,” he said.
“I’ve forked out about R70 before. The government doesn’t come near this school. It’s like it has bad luck.
“The weather is bad now. We fear it [the school] getting worse and falling on our children. We are doing this for our children.”
Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said officials met parents and school management on Thursday to discuss the crisis.
“Due to the fact that this is an emergency issue and a disaster, on Friday [May 15] a team of inspectors will visit the school,” Mtima said last week.
He said the team was meant to assess the damage, determine the costs needed for repairs and identify interim measures to ensure teaching and learning continued.
“They will also engage with parents, the school management team, the LRC and the SGB so that decisions taken are agreed to by everyone involved,” Mtima said.
Daily Dispatch
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