WATCH | New school year, same old problems for some

Though the first day of the new academic year went off without a hitch for many pupils across Nelson Mandela Bay, age-old challenges continued to plague dozens of schools.

Asbestos roofing, dilapidated infrastructure and unfinished and abandoned renovations set the tone for schools in the northern areas, where staff and pupils had to bear the brunt of unfulfilled promises.

In KwaNobuhle, ageing infrastructure, vandalism and theft put pupils on the back foot.

At Rufane Donkin Primary School in Gelvandale, where construction of a new school wing has dragged on for more than 16 years, the latest setback came during the December holidays with the theft of a pump worth R30,000 from the school’s borehole.

Thieves also stripped the distribution box in the cafeteria, leaving the hall without power and breaking through part of the wall to access the strongroom.

Parts of the building had already been declared unfit for use after the upper section of the structure had shifted.

But for the 450 pupils there is little other option.

The incomplete structure continues to stand vacant and roofless with staff constantly on edge, ensuring no pupils wander off into the construction zone.

Principal Mervyn Plaatjies said despite promises that construction would resume in 2025, no work had ever materialised.

“I had to fight with a contractor to either remove or let me sell all the material he just left abandoned here because it was attracting thieves,” he said.

“At some stage, there was a family living in one of those buildings.”

Plaatjies said the prolonged delays and recurring vandalism had taken a toll on the school’s standing in the community.

“When I got to this school it had 650 pupils. We are now at 450 and struggling to get to 500.

“We lost four teachers who had to be removed from the school, not because they wanted to go but because parents did not want to enrol their children here due to those unfinished buildings.

“Construction began at this school before all the others in the northern areas.

“We were shoved into a corner and forgotten about.”

Meanwhile, a stone’s throw away in Bloemendal, Greenville Primary School is yet to receive the necessary attention and budget it needs to rectify its long-standing infrastructure issues.

On Wednesday morning, dozens of pupils were welcomed back to the northern areas school with its collapsing asbestos roofing.

Windows and doors remained broken.

A week ago, the administrative building was broken into, with the burglars entering through the roof.

School Governing Body (SGB) chair Karen Bowers said they were despondent and desperately in need of assistance.

“On the 7th of January, the culprits broke in here,“ she said.

“They stole the weedeater, electrical appliances and power cables.

“In October, the minister of basic education, Siviwe Gwarube, visited us and promised that we were in the budget for rectifications.

“She said there was an emergency fund allocated for us, but we haven’t heard anything since.

“We have requested an urgent meeting with an official of the department of education but he ignores us.

“We have therefore made a vow that if he doesn’t get back to us by Friday we are closing the gate on Monday.”

Bowers said she felt sorry for the fewer than 400 pupils at the school, adding that parents were withdrawing their children because of the situation.

“We need security. Something must drastically be done.”

Four years ago, Greenville made headlines when irate parents closed the facility and staged rolling protests over its appalling condition.

Khoi and San activist Christian Martin, who had played a proactive role in uplifting the school, said the community and parents must take responsibility to look after it.

“The education department and private sector have fixed the toilets, windows and water supply,” he said.

“It is their own community and children who are vandalising and breaking the place down.”

In 2022, SA Human Rights Commission commissioner Chris Nissen, visited the school following an invitation by Martin.

Nissen said back then that the rights of pupils were being violated on a daily basis.

Acting principal Veronica Martin said she did not have much to say and could only hope and pray for a solution.

Bethelsdorp High Comprehensive School, though buoyed by an improved matric pass rate of 78.3%, again started this term with dilapidated temporary structures.

On Monday, principal Jerome Meyer said he had no idea when they would move into their new school.

“All money was paid to the contractor by August but somehow they are still delaying.

“A new manager was appointed who was meant to give us a day-to-day report on how he was supposed to finish by December 31, but up until now we have never had a progress meeting,” he said.

The project was launched in June 2017 after the school was housed in temporary prefab structures for 45 years.

It was originally scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2019.

In 2025, a group of parents led by GOOD councillor Lawrence Troon marched on the site to demand an explanation over the delays.

At the time, site manager Shaun Thomas said the project was 95% complete.

Troon has called for an investigation.

“We are in January and the school has still not been completed,” he said.

Meanwhile, progress remains elusive at Sisonke High School in KwaNobuhle after three years of being targeted by vandals torching storerooms, ransacking the library and cutting the electricity supply.

The pattern has been repeated nearby at Mqhayi Primary School, where classrooms have been plunged into darkness and long-promised upgrades are yet to materialise.

Once home to nearly 2,000 pupils, Sisonke started 2026 off with just 284 pupils.

Since the Covid-19 shutdown, break-ins have destroyed nearly 80% of the school’s infrastructure.

Three learning blocks remain closed, a storeroom was set alight and the distribution board was stripped bare.

A gaping hole in the administration block roof, graffiti scrawled across the walls, and a library wrecked and left in disarray are grim reminders of years of wanton destruction.

School governing body treasurer Andiswa Dayimane said the school was operating as if it was in a rural village.

“We have had to intervene and organise buckets so the school can have water,” she said.

“Teachers have had to go to the councillor’s office to try to make photocopies of test papers and this has had a huge impact on learning because sometimes they even miss class.

“That school is big but it is empty because parents are pulling their children out.”

At Mqhayi Primary, equipment for the school nutrition programme has to be moved into a strongroom every day.

This is because the classroom which was converted into a cooking area has no door.

Only the administration block, staffroom and strongroom have electricity, linked to an alarm system that has reduced daily break-ins.

Principal Siyabonga Kona said criminals had first targeted copper cables before stripping the school of its electricity supply.

“When they realised there was nothing left to take, they started removing furniture for the steel parts,” he said.

The loss of power is just one of several challenges facing the school, which has also seen enrolment steadily decline.

“Why would parents send their children here when they can send them to better-looking schools in the township?

“That has nothing to do with the quality of education we provide — our teachers are here every day, working hard.

“We have been approved for refurbishments but last year inspectors only came at the beginning of the year and never returned.”

Sivuyiseni Primary principal Bawinile Dastile said they were concerned about the shortage of furniture and teachers.

Pikoli said the number of pupils was increasing and, though they had enough classes, chairs were a concern at the Kwamagxaki school.

When a Herald team visited the premises on Wednesday morning, parents were queuing to find spaces for their children.

Pikoli said this was an annual occurrence.

Meanwhile, in New Brighton, Emafini Primary deputy principal Vuyo Khoza said they were also concerned about the shortage of teachers.

“We do have space. It’s just human resources that are an issue.

“We only have one grade R teacher permanently employed by the department the other two are SGB posts.”

Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said Sisinke and Mqhayi fell under minor maintenance projects that had been rejected on two occasions due to noncompliance with supply chain management requirements by the contractors.

“A re-tender process will be initiated once approval to proceed has been granted,” he said.

“Greenville Primary School has an appointed implementing agent and a condition assessment has been conducted for major renovations.

“The project is at the feasibility study stage.

“Engineers are planning to start with decanting once the budget approval is obtained.

“Bethelsdorp High School is currently experiencing payment-related challenges but the district is attending to them.”

He said the department would verify if Sivuyiseni was on the list of those set to receive furniture.

In relation to teacher shortage claims, Mtima said an assessment would be conducted by the district.

This would determine the department’s intervention.

The Herald