Education authorities must speed up the process of eliminating pit toilets at government schools to prevent unnecessary injuries to pupils, according to experts.
The experts were reacting to a recent incident in which a Grade 1 pupil fell into a pit toilet at Mogogelo Primary School in the North West.
Pupil falls into open pit during renovations
North West education spokesperson Vuyo Hlubi Mantshule, confirming the incident, said: “There is an infrastructure contractor who was appointed to convert the pit toilets to VIP flushing toilets. The contractor abandoned the site before completion, leaving open inlets and unsafe areas.
“The school did not barricade the construction area as required. Two pupils ran towards the toilets from the school grounds where they had been under supervision.
“Instead of using the functional ablution area, they proceeded to the rear side of the toilets undergoing renovation as part of the conversion from pit latrines to VIP flushing toilets.”
Mantshule said at the back of the structure, there were open inlets that had not been properly closed or barricaded, while the contractor had not filled the old pit toilets with sand as required for safety during conversion.
He said the school had similarly failed to secure or restrict access to the hazardous area.
“While running, one pupil tripped and fell into the open inlet. Other pupils, who witnessed the incident immediately pulled the pupil out. The pupil was covered in human waste.
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Pupil ‘not negatively affected’
“Teachers on duty, supported by other workers, responded promptly, washed and cleaned the pupil, and contacted the parent.
“The pupil was taken to the clinic by the school and the parent. According to the school, the clinic reported the pupil was not negatively affected at that stage.”
He said the school didn’t report the incident to the circuit manager or to the district.
He added the principal initially gave incorrect information to the department’s officials who were investigating the matter.
The officials from the department and other relevant stakeholders will today visit the boy and his family to assist with counselling, he added.
The Citizen has learnt the principal will be given a final written warning.
The principal is facing charges including negligence, failure to report a serious incident, providing misleading information to department officials regarding the incident and failure to secure and barricade an unsafe area.
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Experts warn of ongoing sanitation risks
Education specialist Hendrick Makaneta said the incident was very troubling due to the dangers pit latrines continue to pose in some schools.
Makaneta said no pupil should face such a life-threatening incident while at school.
“Pit latrines remain entrenched in some schools largely because of infrastructure backlogs, particularly in rural areas.
“Addressing the problem requires a commitment to replace all unsafe sanitation facilities with modern toilets that are safe.
“We are aware government has introduced programmes aimed at eradicating unsafe school sanitation, which shows the problem has been acknowledged. But incidents like this suggest progress has been too slow in some areas. ”
Professor Kathija Yassim, head of the department of education leadership and management at the University of Johannesburg, said: “The fact a young pupil had to be rescued from a pit toilet highlights the ongoing safety risks in schools that still rely on outdated sanitation facilities.
“It is unacceptable and we must act to ensure all children have access to safe learning environments. While there are projects run by the department of basic education to improve infrastructure, it’s not happening fast enough.”
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