A school in Cowdray Parkโs Ward 6 reportedly relies on a single Blair toilet for teachers and students due to a lack of sewer connection, according to Councillor Nkosinathi Hove-Mpofu.
Councillor Hove-Mpofu expressed his concerns during an interview with CITE on Asakhe Onlineโs โFix My Cityโ program on Friday.
He emphasised the urgent need for action to safeguard the health of both the children and their teachers.
โThe situation at Vulindlela Primary School in my ward is worrying,โ he said. โThe area lacks sewer connection, and the school is no exception. Thereโs only one toilet at the entire facility, serving teachers and learners of all grades, including Early Childhood Development (ECD).โ
โThis raises serious health concerns at the school. They also have limited water access. A Jojo tank is filled by a bowser twice a week, but sometimes the provided water isnโt enough for the whole school.โ
Councillor Hove-Mpofu further noted the schoolโs inadequate classrooms to accommodate the enrolled students.
โThe school suffers from a classroom shortage,โ he explained. โSome children are forced to learn outdoors, while in other cases, two classes share the same classroom. The infrastructure is simply inadequate.โ
โShutting down the school while they fix these issues wouldnโt be a good solution,โ he continued. โWe already have a shortage of schools in this suburb. Some residents who can afford it have enrolled their children in schools located in Ward 28, roughly 5 kilometres away. We can only hope the city council addresses this situation with the urgency it deserves.โ
Meanwhile, Ward 28 Councillor, Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu, has repeatedly urged the city council to address the lack of primary schools in the suburb.
During the latest full council meeting, Councillor Ndlovu highlighted that most schools in the area enroll more students than their designated capacity, resulting in overcrowding. He emphasized the need for more schools to be built in the rapidly growing suburb to accommodate all the children and provide quality education services.
