Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has come under fire for reducing funding for the Khulangolwazi Special School in Durban.
This situation prompted parents to stage a protest last week outside the gates of the school in Montclair. Parents claimed their children were experiencing various problems at school due to a lack of provisions from the department.
The parents said the budget for the buses used to transport the pupils had been cut, there were no workshops, a shortage of drivers, food shortages for the pupils, only one cook who prepares food for the pupils, a shortage of competent teacher assistants, and not enough classes for the pupils.
The school, which has enrolled 631 pupils from grades 1 to 9, caters to children who have special educational needs due to severe learning difficulties, physical disabilities or behavioural problems.
School governing body chairperson Nolonwabo Gcinilizwe said the school required teacher aides to help teachers with the pupils’ needs, and there was a drastic teacher shortage since those who had retired or died were never replaced.
“Even though the school has three buses to transport our children to and from school, the Education Department hired only one driver,” she said.
Gcinilizwe said a bus has to carry about 50 children, and many of the children do not live in the area, which becomes an extra expense to parents who have to pay R1 000 a month for scholar transport from other areas around Durban.
Apparently, the Education Department provided the school with only one cook to prepare food for more than 600 children. This has compelled the school to hire extra help, at its own expense, and in the process spending the money that could have been used for the school’s vital needs, explained Gcinilizwe.
“The children who need assistance with going to the lavatory have no one to help, but rely on the same teachers who have to stand in class teaching them,” she added.
Gcinilizwe said that along with the parents they decided to go to the Education Department’s head office in Pietermaritzburg to submit a list of grievances.
“We took a drastic decision to stage a protest at the school entrance so the department could listen to our pleas,” Gcinilizwe said.
Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said they were engaged in discussions with the South African Association for Special Education. The department said it would issue a statement after the talks concluded.
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