Covid-19: Pandemic comes back to haunt KZN DoE after years of complacency

11 June 2020

Covid-19 school readiness evaluations by the Democratic Alliance (DA) – as part of a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Legislature programme - have revealed a rough start at many educational institutions across the provinces 12 districts, as Grade 7 and 12 learners finally returned to class on Monday.

Of particular concern to the DA are the number of rural schools that have been instructed to open despite not being ready.

During the recent KZN Education Budget Debate, the DA warned Education MEC KwaziMshengu that the Covid-19 pandemic would come back to haunt his Department as a result of years of complacency when it comes to service delivery, foresight and planning.

The result of this was evident at many of the schools visited, where the DA found ongoing and immediate infrastructure challenges including overflowing pit latrines and insufficient classrooms and bathrooms, many of which were also poorly equipped (view here and here).

Then there is the issue of insufficient desks and chairs and not enough teachers, other staff, cleaners and screeners at entry points - let alone problems related to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). These are all serious issues which are set to be exacerbated as more Grades return.

Further to this is the lack of proper sanitation and irregular water supply at many schools, with the Zululand and Ugu districts worst affected. The dire situation is supported by an admission by a senior official within the Zululand District that a staggering 501 of the districts’ 578 schools should not have opened unless water provision was adequate.

All schools visited in the district over the last few days confirm this view. The figure flies in the face of the MEC’s announcement last Sunday that only 104 KZN schools were not ready to open.

In terms of Covid-19 regulations, the DA found numerous areas of concern.

At Esimozomeni Primary in Richmond, we found that the school was not compliant in terms of any of the protocols, with the delegation proposing that the school remain closed for now.

Other serious problems encountered at schools across KZN include:

 A teacher being allowed entry to school despite presenting with a high temperature and in one district, a Person under Investigation [PUI] who continued to participate in the entire Legislature oversight programme

 Poor or no screening procedures at many schools, with no sanitisation after learners leave. This due to no one having been trained to use the DoE-supplied equipment and chemicals and a shortage of staff to perform this function. This despite principals having been sent a contract confirming that both screeners and cleaners would be deployed through the province’s Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP).

No Covid-19 education and training for teachers, staff and learners and learners without masks and no social distancing at some schools.

The delivery of sub-standard departmental issue masks in some areas and thermometers which had not been properly calibrated, leading to incorrect temperatures being taken (view here) and no batteries supplied. The DA has also identified the need for more training when it comes to the use of thermometers.

A severe lack of communication around when more PPE would be delivered while many schools do not have the funds to buy more.

Isolation ‘rooms’ which no parent would want their child sent to (view here) and;

'Staged’ schools, with one of the oversight delegations told that schools were being presented as ready, with the necessary items brought in overnight, while the situation may revert once the oversights were done.

At one of the schools visited, the DA found that hand washing stations delivered the same day, were in fact leaking (view video here).

This poses serious questions around quality control measures by the DoE.

At another school we found filthy water being used to prepare food for children.  It is very likely that this will cause an outbreak of diarrhoeal disease at the school.  The matter was urgently raised with the MEC.

At several schools we found Jo-Jo tanks that were not cleaned, with old, filthy water in them that will pose a massive health hazard.

At yet another school, most of the water pipes were stolen as a result of vandalism during lockdown. As a result, the learners’ bathroom has no running water, with the principal forced to step in and pay from his own pocket to rectify the situation. This is unacceptable.

It is the DA’s view that given the current state of preparedness at some KZN schools – in particular those in rural areas – not all schools should have re-opened on Monday.

This comes after HOD Enock Nzama’s assurances, during a portfolio committee on 22 May, that all schools would be ready 25 May.

This comment which raises serious concerns around whether the DoE has its finger on the pulse. While we note the Department’s commitment to addressing the issues raised during the oversight programme, the proof will be in the doing.

The Covid-19 virus is a world-wide pandemic and the DoE must also look at international best practice when it comes to the safety of KZN’s school staff and learners.

This must include giving consideration to items such as desk separators, which can be safely used between learners.  This will become critical as more Grades are phased in. This must be done after due consultation with the Department of Health. While they may form part of a short-term solution, the desk separators are something that can become more permanent in future classroom design and setup.

Park homes, while valuable, are costly and the DoE will not be able to afford the number required to accommodate all Grades while, in some instances, the terrain will also not allow for enough to be placed on school premises. The reality is that the DoE’s infrastructure is grossly insufficient and any likely partners - such as KZN’s CoGTA Department - have disappointingly left the Department high and dry at the 11th hour.

One thing is clear – KZN’s ANC-led government can no longer only blame the country’s historical past when it comes to infrastructure challenges, while turning a blind eye to the squandering of millions of rands of taxpayers’ money through their own involvement.

In our province, one only has to look at the exorbitant and wasteful sums recently paid by the Department for PPE and the reckless decision to hire a luxury car for the MEC at almost half a million rand for just a few months.

The DA expects MEC Mshengu and his officials to take heed of the issues identified during the course of this week and to take immediate action where necessary.

This needs to include clear communication regarding the provision and use of PPE, urgent intervention when it comes to the water and sanitation problems identified and confirmation on changes to the curriculum.

The DA remains committed to ensuring a safe and conducive learning environment for both educators, staff and learners at KZN’s schools.

Issued byImran Keeka, DA, 11 June 2020