“It is the first day of school and we are not contributing to education – rather we are contributing to the ailments of this community, including gangsterism, alcohol and drug abuse.”
This was the view of Jubilee Park Primary principal Patric Norkee as he split his grade 1 pupils into two groups because he has 120 grade 1s to accommodate.
The newest little pupils to his school, he says, are already endangered as a result of the shortened teaching time they will receive.
On Wednesday, the first group of grade 1s had to leave early to make space for the second group needing to collect books and stationery.
Norkee’s concerns were just the tip of the iceberg for many of the Bay’s poorer schools that faced a myriad of challenges ranging from teacher shortages, overcrowding and unregistered pupils to incomplete construction projects and vandalism, on the first day of the 2019 academic year.
And while Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle promised on Tuesday that all issues relating to stationery, furniture and sufficient teachers would be resolved by January 20, principals of many schools in the Bay’s northern areas, townships and Uitenhage remained sceptical.
The Herald visited a total of 16 schools in the Bay on Wednesday – including four former Model C schools where the mood was upbeat as teachers and pupils began tackling the new academic year.
In October, The Herald reported that construction at Jubilee Park Primary School in Uitenhage, Rufane Donkin Primary in Gelvandale and Bethelsdorp Comprehensive High had come to a standstill.
This was as a result of irregular payments to contractors by the implementing agent – the department of public works. The contracts are valued at about R77m, R54m and R80m respectively.
At the time, public works spokesperson Vuyokazi Mbanjwa said officials were waiting for the money from the department of education as well as a contract transfer to a new contractor, which was at an advanced stage.
However, when a reporter returned to the schools on Wednesday all three principals – Norkee, Heather Theron (Rufane Donkin) and acting principal Ralph Jacobus (Bethelsdorp) – said not a single official from either department or contractor had been on site since.
Provincial education department spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said on Wednesday that the projects would proceed on Tuesday next week.
“[The contractor at] Rufane Donkin has been terminated and a replacement contractor is being sourced and no work will take place until processes are completed.”
Department of public works spokesperson Sipokazi Ncanywa said: “The department will give you a detailed report on the matter tomorrow [Thursday].”
But Jubilee’s Norkee said the academic year was already bleak for the 1,320 pupils, half of whom were crammed into prefab classrooms – a stone’s throw away from their new building – since construction started in 2014.
“Half the pupils attend class from 8am to noon, and the second shift from noon to 4pm.
“Nothing has changed in the new year. Half of these new grade 1s will have to go home at 12 to make space for the other half to come and fetch their stationery,” he said.
“The future of these grade 1 pupils is already endangered from day one because right from the start they are receiving an inferior education.
“The new school is at 93% complete for almost a year and now the contractor is nowhere to be found.
“We are not helping these children in any way. If anything, we are making the situation worse giving them this inferior foundation and setting them up for failure in later years.
“But what are we supposed to do but try to teach as much as we can?” In July, the Bhisho High Court ordered basic education minister Angie Motshekga to fix flaws in her department’s rules for infrastructure, after lobby group Equal Education argued that loopholes enabled the government to shirk its duty to provide safe schools.
Equal Education co-head Amanda Rinquest said on Wednesday that the department of education had a responsibility to provide in-class resources in a safe and conducive environment.
Jacobus said Bethelsdorp Comprehensive High was facing multiple challenges, including teacher shortages for mathematics, English and Afrikaans, which would severely impact pupils.
He said the school had enrolled about 300 new grade 8 pupils in 2019, but as a result of the high dropout rate the school was usually left with only about 100 matrics.
However, parents of unregistered pupils continued to queue outside his office in the hope of finding late placement.
“It is really concerning that there are so many pupils we have had to turn away. It is also the responsibility of parents to ensure their kids are placed well before the school year starts. We are already at about 45 to 50 in a class.
“Adding to the problem is the teacher shortage and everincreasing dropout rate in this community. It has been an insanely busy day and I don’t foresee it getting any easier this week,” Jacobus said.
Theron said as a result of the halted construction at Rufane Donkin Primary and the introduction of about 100 new grade 1 pupils, the school was forced to partition its dining hall into classrooms.
Motherwell’s James Jolobe Secondary School and BJ Mnyanda Primary School, in Kwazakhele, were facing serious issues of vandalism and overcrowded classrooms.
BJ Mnyanda Primary School principal Simphiwe Lukasi said on average more than 60 pupils squeezed into a classroom.
James Jolobe Secondary School principal Fundile Diamond said while people were celebrating the New Year he had been called and told that his school had been broken into and vandalised.
Diamond said thieves had broken into classrooms, stolen books, desks and chairs and then broke almost all the windows.
About six months ago the unknown thieves burnt down a classroom and damaged other classrooms’ doors.
“We live in constant fear, we are not safe and it is challenging for the teachers to do well when every day the school has been vandalised,” he said.
However, at some Bay schools smiley faces, shiny shoes and no tears were seen as eager grade 1s hurried into class before the first bell.
At Settlers Primary in Walmer, acting principal Jerry van Huyssteen said the school had been filled to capacity with 696 pupils – 108 in grade 1.
“Last year, we had 654 learners and currently we have 696 and we are at full capacity.
“We will be able to take one or two more learners but we must keep within the 36 learners to 1 teacher ratio,” he said.
Kabega Primary School deputy principal Corrie van Eck said the school had to create a fifth grade 1 class to accommodate the 150 new pupils, with the focus for this year being on reading.
● Department of education superintendent-general Themba Kojana said all unregistered pupils should report immediately to the education district offices in Sidwell and Uitenhage to ensure all unplaced pupils were placed in schools with spaces.