20 February 2007
More school toilets have been built in less than three years in
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) than ever before. This information was revealed when KZN
Education MEC Ina Cronje officially opened the 7 615th toilet at Tobi Primary
School in Umbumbulu on 20 February 2007.
MEC Cronje opened a new toilet block for boys with four toilets, two urinals
and four wash basins and a block for girls with six toilets and four wash
basins. A toilet for the disabled was also built. The new staff toilet block
consists of one toilet with a urinal and a wash basin for males and three
toilets and a wash basin for female teachers.
The new toilets, which were built according to the national building
regulations, have been welcomed by teachers and learners. The new pit latrines
are a great improvement on the previous system as the toilet blocks were built
with face brick and the pits can be cleared out. Should piped water come to the
area, these toilets can also be converted to waterborne toilets.
MEC Cronje said decent toilets are part of human dignity and that the
department has pulled out all stops to provide clean, safe private places. "For
children and young people to stay healthy they need to drink water regularly
throughout the day. They also have to use the toilets when they need to. Our
children and teachers spend at least half their waking hours at school.
Avoiding using school toilets because of inadequate facilities can lead to long
and short term health problems. It also affects a child's ability to
concentrate in class and therefore his or her ability to learn."
When MEC Cronje assumed office in 2004 a total of 500 schools had no toilets
at all. These were schools that either had been built without toilets or the
existing pit latrines had collapsed. To address the unsafe situation the
department embarked on a vigorous toilet building mission.
The building of new toilets will continue until the department has replaced
all old, inadequate and unsafe toilets at its 6 000 schools. A barometer to
measure the success of the programme has been launched to regularly unveil the
progress that the Department has made.
Where municipalities have provided piped water to areas, waterborne toilets
(flush toilets) are built, while modern pit latrines are built in areas with no
piped water. The latter can later be converted into water borne toilets when
there is piped water in the area. Toilets for the disabled are included in all
plans.
The water and sanitation programme has a holistic approach whereby issues,
such as health and hygiene education, food gardens and operation and
maintenance issues are all taken into consideration. In addition to the toilets
that were built at Tobi Primary school a total of R682 490 has been spent on
repairs and maintenance at the school.
Several implementing agents have been instrumental in the building of the
toilets. Besides the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Works, the Independent
Development Trust, Ithala Development Finance Corporation and Umgeni Water, the
Department of Education has trained and used emerging contractors � mostly
women and youth - to fast track the building of toilets and other
infrastructure in the province. In addition it has also been training former
combatants to build school toilets in a joint venture with the Office of the
Premier, called the "Monument of Peace" project.
Enquiries:
Christi Naude
Director: Media and Citizen Liaison (Acting)
KwaZulu-Natal Education
Tel: (033) 355 2453
Fax: (033) 342 0275
Cell: 083 262 8829
E-mail: christin@kznedu.kzntl.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial
Government
20 February 2007
Source: SAPA
