School Re-opening

School reopening – they deliver portable toilets, but we already have toilets, we don’t have sufficient protective equipment

15 June 2020
Moshate village
Moshupsa Primary School
Mokopane
Limpopo province
By Mpho Tjale

Today I visited Moshupsa Primary school in Moshate village as to check how pupils are and teachers are coping with this pandemic. The principal stated that ” it was more difficult for them and the pupils last week when they re-opened, since they didn’t have all necessary equipments and that it was difficult for pupils to cope with changes but they had to orientate them so that they can cope or rather comply”.

The school was supplied with sanitizers, Thermometer and the school had to use some of their money to buy additional PPEs, yet is still difficult for the staff to do all sorts of things around the school as they are expected to monitor learners during break and also to teach at the same time, teachers are expected to monitor learners if they comply with social distance, if they wash their hands regularly when they are outside.

The school had to buy containers with a tap installed and buckets so that learners can wash their hands when they come from toilets and inside the containers they mixed water, disinfection and soap as they are being provided with small order of sanitizers, and that Mokopane circuit told the principal that they dont qualify to have monitors in the school yet the principal complained about shortage of staff even long before Covid-19.

The principle was surprised when the Mogalakwena Local Municipality delivered portable toilets without informing them, the Principal also stated that “they are not using those portable toilets since the school has too many toilets, she further said she was either going to request chalkboards instead of those portable toilets which will need maintenance from time to time and in her view it’s a waste of state resources, because they bring things in the school without consulting them.