Africa-Press – Botswana. The Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education has moved swiftly to address the persistent issue of poor sanitation at Itekeng Junior Secondary School (JSS) in Ghanzi.
Speaking in an interview on Monday after the handing over of 31 maintained toilets, Ghanzi regional education director Mr Baamogeleng Moteti said they had begun to attend to the dysfunctional ablutions on May 28.
Giving a background of the situation, Mr Moteti said the high pressure from the school population of about 1 500 students had proved excessive for the sewerage network, leading to frequent breakdowns, blockages and leakages.
He however, attributed some of the breakdowns to vandalism.
As for the 31 maintained ablutions, he mentioned that 15 toilets were for boys while 16 were reserved for girls.
He said all the boys ablutions had been completely attended to while eight of the girls’ toilets still needed their plumbing to be changed from copper to galvanised pipes; works which he said were completed on Monday.
Mr Moteti further said that as a long term solution, they had proposed for the construction of more toilets to cater for the large population of students.
On other issues, he said they are also awaiting the completion of student hostels at Tshimologo JSS in Tsootsha, a move that he said would allow for the enrolment of some students from Ghanzi District, which would in turn ease congestion at Itekeng JSS.
Enrolling some students from Ghanzi District in Tsootsha would be an interim measure while awaiting the proposed construction of a second junior secondary school earmarked for Ghanzi, he said.
Moreover, he acknowledged that they have been in collaboration with the Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) with regard to some issues concerning Itekeng JSS.
Mr Moteti further called for close supervision of students to guard against acts of vandalism which he said had some severe repercussions such as disruption of lessons.
He implored the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), school management, parents and the district leadership to instil some sense of discipline on the students so as to guard against vandalism of school properties.
For his part, Itekeng JSS school head Mr Sinvula Serome appreciated the immediate efforts to address the situation, saying the intervention would allow students to use ablutions instead of resorting to relieving themselves in the nearby bushes and other undesignated areas of the school’s premises.
Mr Serome also said since the situation had been arrested, it was expected that teachers would resume lessons since they had stopped teaching due to acts of some students resorting to defecating in classrooms.
Itekeng JSS PTA deputy chairperson, Ms Susan Moehadu said the poor sanitation at the school was undesirable as it exposed learners to the possibility of contracting infections.
She admitted that the ablutions had been attended to a number of times in the past but that it was unfortunate that government was now financially challenged to address the matter urgently.
Ms Moehadu said funds permitting, the construction of the long promised second junior secondary school would address the high enrolment of students in one school.
She also called for parents to be proactive in issues concerning their children by assisting government to close existing gaps in service provision at the school.
Molapo-Tshabantsa ward councilor Mr Mpho Mangate also acknowledged the efforts made to address the sanitation problem so that lessons could resume.
Mr Mangate applauded the ministry for the urgent response and called for coordination from relevant authorities to attend to grievances on time to avoid unnecessary standoffs.
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