Parents rail about Pretoria West schools
Dilapitated infrastructures are said to be holding back the progress of learners.
The department of education has launched an investigation into a primary school within the west of Pretoria following concerns over infrastructure decay and inadequate ablution facilities.
The investigation is also as a petition has garnered over 250 signatures to stress worries regarding the west of Pretoria primary school.
Kwaggasrand Primary School and Lotus Gardens Secondary School have recently been called out for not providing adequate facilities to teach their learners.
Kwaggasrand’s principal faces allegations of creating a hostile work environment while the infrastructure decays.
Kwaggasrand Primary School:
Laerskool Kwaggarsrand Primary Principal Nkhensani Rikhotso, faces allegations by parents and teachers that the school has fallen into disarray and a toxic work and school environment has become the norm since her appointment.
Dilapidated buildings, non-functioning toilets, no-shows for days on end and bullying and intimidation tactics among other allegations have been made against Rikhotso.
One such parent aired their grievances out on the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) Facebook page anonymously saying that out of fear of being targeted, they had to remain anonymous.
The post alleges that instead of meeting with the aggrieved parents, the principal beefed up security and called the police when asked to address their concerns.
Unkept grounds and misappropriation of funds were also among the accusations.
A petition that has garnered over 250 signatures so far has also been created in response to the recent complaints on Change.org.
https://www.change.org/p/advocate-for-the-removal-of-the-principal-at-laerskool-kwaggasrand-primary
The petition created by yet another parent choosing to remain anonymous calls for the principal to step down in light of the declining state of the school.
“I have watched the school’s standard and quality of education decline under the current principal’s administration. The school that once excelled in various spheres now finds itself in a deteriorating state. Lately, incidents of negligence, poor management, and an overall decline in the school’s ethos have become increasingly commonplace, causing substantial distress and concern among parents and students alike,” the petition reads.
Parents refused to comment to Rekord out of fear of their children being targeted however one former student teacher named Lesedi Thobejane was not afraid to speak about her experience first-hand dealing with the principal.
Thobejane alleges that the principal is rarely on duty, uses bullying tactics to get her way with those who disregard her orders and cannot be bothered by the decaying state of the building.
She was a student teacher at the time and still currently studying, she says that Rikhotso needs to take responsibility.
“When I started this year, she wasn’t around for a while. She came back and demanded that student teachers should be moved because she didn’t want to be held accountable if something were to happen. The toilets don’t work, they don’t flush and repairs have been delayed and delayed. Some learners are even using the urinals to go for number two as the toilets don’t work,” Thobejane says.
Thobejane completed her stint at the school mid-year after starting in February but still feels in her heart that the kids are being hard done by.
In response to the allegations, the GDoE’s spokesperson Steve Mabona had the following to say: “The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is aware of the allegations levelled against the principal at Kwaggasrand Primary School. Consequently, we have since launched investigations and the outcome thereof will determine actions to be taken. Accordingly, the learners at the said school have access to functional ablution facilities.”
The Lotus Gardens Secondary was also recently subjected to an oversight by members of the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Infrastructure Development Department, which found that the school grounds were dilapidated despite the provincial Department launching a renovation project in 2022.
Lotus Gardens Secondary School:
Khathutshelo Rasilingwane MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Infrastructure Development says that Lotus Gardens Secondary learners are being taught in dilapidated classrooms with leaking roofs, damaged ceilings, and non-functioning toilets due to the delays by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) in fixing the school.
Rasilingwane says that the project that commenced in 2022 was meant to be complete by now.
In response to the DA’s questions regarding the rehabilitation of Lotus Gardens Secondary School, the MEC for Infrastructure Development, Jacob Mamabolo, stated that the construction would be completed within 16 months and that they would monitor the progress.
“While the DA notes the reported timeline and the commitment to monitor this project, we cannot ignore that the DID has failed to complete projects on time and within budget. Learners are at the losing end of the stick as they have to endure being taught in an environment that is not conducive and severely impacts the delivery of quality education,” Rasilingwane.
Rasilingwane also says that this is one of many projects by DID that have been delayed and negatively affected the delivery of services to communities across the province.
“We are committed to rescuing the learners of Lotus Gardens Secondary and all those bearing the brunt of poor infrastructure in our province,” Rasilingwane.
At the time of publishing the GDE has not responded to the inquiry regarding the Lotus Gardens Secondary School.
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