Whilst learners in Gauteng have returned to school last Wednesday, herald in the new academic year, the structures of many schools remain un-conducive for learning purposes, leaving both parents and learners up in arms.
One of the schools that has left parents disgruntled due to the school being in disrepair, is the Lotus Garden Secondary School, which has resulted in the school not resuming classes. Broken down classrooms, the poor condition of rest rooms and building structures of the school which have been falling apart for the past three years are of concern to the parents as it poses a safety risk to the learners. Parents are furious about the current condition of the school. One classroom does not have a roof and other classrooms are left without windows and desks for the learners. A lot of chairs are broken, piling up on the school grounds and the condition of the boys and girl’s bathrooms are a health hazard as they are dirty most of the time and taps are broken and the plumbing systems do not work. Some of the classrooms do not even have electricity. Neil Naidoo, a well trusted community member and business owner offered the school his cheapest quote to repair and maintain the building.
As no classes are being held due to the danger the building poses, the school held an urgent meeting this past Wednesday (Jan 19) with parents and informed them that due to budget constraints they could not do the major repairs that needed to be done and could only attend to the minor repairs. Parents were also informed that major repairs are the function of the Dept and that the Dept has not come back to the school in this regard. During the meeting, the acting Principal, Madam B.Moche, was called to the front to address the parents, but she did not make an appearance and apparently was nowhere to be found. A staff member of the school, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “The school has no leadership and the Dept does not seem to care as the school building has been falling apart for the past three years.”
Devin Kale (parent) told the Laudium Sun, “Bricks are falling and ceilings are collapsing in classrooms, the lives of our children are at risk.”
Belindah Sehlapela said as a parent she feels that the condition of the school is unhygienic and unsafe for the learners. “There are no books in the library and the school bathrooms are unhealthy mostly for female learners. My child told me that on some days, the school does not have water, and on other days the water runs very slow. This does not sit well with me because I believe our kids should be properly hydrated,” she said.
Another parent who only gave her first name, Lorraine, suggested that the Department should provide the school with mobile classes as soon as possible while they are still busy discussing fixing the roof. It is a bad idea to stop our kids from coming to school as they had a long break last year from Covid,” she said.
Farzana Chetty, another concerned parent told the Laudium Sun that she feels so disgusted about the toilets that the girls are using. “The filthy taps don’t even work. There are no sanitary bins for the girls and the Principal can’t even address the parents about the situation,” said Farzana. Farzana also mentioned that using other classrooms is not safe because nobody knows when other parts of the roof will cave in.
Pastor Errol Naidoo, one of the staff members from the school said, “Our future leaders have to be in a school environment where they can grow in having a successful pass rate, the present state of affairs at the school is certainly not conducive to proper learning,” he said.
Meanwhile a number of parents have offered their services and even pledged money towards the repair of the school. Neil Naidoo, a member of the community and business owner offered the school his cheapest quote to repair and maintain the building.
