The daily trauma some school kids face.
Take a look at the picture above. Disgusting, right? But this is the reality that millions of South African school children wake up to everyday.
“Lack of sanitation is the worlds biggest cause of infection and one of the problems that continues to keep many of our children out of school,” says Domestos Marketing Director Sue Stringer.
On the front page of the City Press, dated July 26 2015, is the picture of a block of toilets built for the pupils of Ditshipeng Primary School, which cost the state an exorbitant R4.7 million- and don’t even work. City Press visited Ditshipeng Primary school this last week and the toilets were not working; toilets the government spent R4.7 million on. “Pupils were forced to urinate outside in the veld or using old, stinking and dangerous pit latrines,” – City Press.
It is very shocking how much these contractors are cheating the government for work contrary to the expected standards, but that’s not the matter at hand here.
Research indicates that the provision of hygienic toilet facilities contributes directly to the standard of education received by pupils. There are more than 24 000 public schools in South Africa but fewer than 8000 have flushing toilets.
Can you even start to imagine using such a toilet?
But who is to blame for this appalling statistics?
Many would be quick to point a finger at the government, but I think they deserve a pass this time.
Every school learner spends on average 8 hours per 5 days per week at school. This can be considered as their second home, therefore qualifying their teachers as their second parents. Shouldn’t the “parents” be the ones looking after their children’s hygiene? Or at least concerned about it?
After talking to a teacher from Lyndhurst Primary, I was thrilled with how enthusiastic the school is about the hygiene of the school environment. All staff members, including the caretakers, hold a weekly meeting where the cleanliness of the school, especially the toilets, is greatly encouraged. This is further emphasized by daily checks by the principal of the cleaniness of the school grounds and toilets; each learner must bring at least two rolls of toilet paper per month to be used in the toilets; and general encouragement for learners to wash their hands regularly and clean up after themselves by teachers is a tradition there.
Lyndhurst Primary School Eco club.
Imagine if all schools held the same values as Lyndhurst Primary, would that disgustingly shocking picture even exist? Yes, I’m saying that the problem lies with the schools and not the government. School management is supposed to take it upon themselves to encourage cleaniness in schools.
If teachers are ignoring such mortifying conditions, that makes me scared to even start to imagine if they are doing a good job in the classroom; which most probably doesn’t look any different from the picture above.
Inferior toilet facilities such as the above result in skipping school and especially girls then fail to complete the curriculum, resulting in missed lessons and lower grades.
Youth!?! What are we doing about this horror??
P
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