Parents raise concern over state of high school in Eastern Cape

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Some rural schools in parts of the Eastern Cape continue to operate under deplorable conditions.

Overcrowding, shortages of teachers and lack of resources are some of the challenges they face.

One of those schools plagued by these challenges is Nogemane Senior Secondary School in Ngqeleni.

Parents say they’ve raised these issues with the authorities, without any success.

The school at Ntibane village was torched by protesting learners in 2017. Two blocks of classrooms were completely destroyed in the fire.

It’s alleged they wanted a farewell function, but the school had no funds. Since then, they’ve been studying under bad conditions, using prefabricated classrooms that were provided for the school in 2015.

Now, classes that are meant to accommodate 40 learners have to take more than 120 learners. On top of that, the school is also experiencing a shortage of teachers and lack of furniture.

Four learners have to squeeze into a single desk, while others put books on their laps to write.

The chairperson of the school governing body, Nobongile Rhoyi, says they are worried about the condition of the school.

“We only want one thing and that is for the school to be built. There are holes in the floor. The buildings pose a danger to everyone.”

Parents of the learners have also voiced concern about the safety of their children.

“This school is falling apart and dirty. They promised to build us a proper school years ago and yet we still have prefabricated buildings.”

“It is painful to look at these buildings. How can these learners do anything.”

Learners on the other hand are worried about the shortages of study material. Grade 12 learners Amahle Mgununda and Siphumelele Gwadiso say that impacts negatively on their studies.

“Physical Science is the most difficult subject. We don’t have practicals. We don’t have laboratories either.”

“We don’t have textbooks here for Physical Science or other subjects.”

The provincial Department of Education blames this on poor management of the school.

Despite these conditions, Nogemane Senior Secondary School still managed to achieve a 93% matric pass rate for the class of 2023.