LEARNING AT SCHOOL UNFIT FOR HUMAN HABITATION

SITEKI – As pupils are getting ready for the schools opening for the second term this week, about 350 pupils from the Assembly of God Primary School in Siteki are not quite sure if they should iron their uniforms and dust their books in readiness for the resumption of classes.

 The pupils are in the dark after Health Inspectors from the Ministry of Health ordered that it be closed as it was found to have poor sanitation and unfit for human habitation hence posing health hazards to the pupils, teachers and to the community members around the school.

The inspectors carried out an impromptu sanitary inspection in March, during which they discovered that it lacked proper sanitation, had dilapidated classrooms, no water supply and food stored in a tool shed. Assembly of God Primary School is situated in the outskirts of Siteki.

The school was given a 30-day ultimatum to resolve its sanitary problems. Ignatius Shongwe, Lubombo Regional Environmental Health Officer said the current state of the pit latrines at the school can contribute to diarrhoeal diseases, which is in violation of the Public Health Act of 1969.  Shongwe said the condition observed at Assembly of God Primary School’s classrooms were in violation of the Act and  the state of the kitchen was also in violation of the same legislation and  the Food Regulations Act of 1973.

Shongwe expressed his dissatisfaction with the state of both the teachers and learners’ toilets because they lacked signage, water supply, doors and were stinky.  He said classrooms were discovered to be in a dilapidated state, with cracked walls and floors had potholes.  Nonhle Masango - Head teacher of the school said the issue of poor sanitation and poor learning environment at the school dated back from 2014. She said the school authorities had tried on numerous occasions to get assistance from the Ministry of Education but in vain.

The head teacher expressed her grave concern over the issue of poor sanitation at the school mentioning that they posed a health hazard to the learners, especially diarrhoeal infections, since this had been a neglected issue. A report on the sanitary condition of the school is with the Health Environmental office. Masango said the Ministry of Education and Training assisted only with the renovations of the lower grades.

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