6 April 2023
Equal Education media alert: Equal Education in Limpopo to march to the Limpopo Department of Education (LDoE) to demand urgent sanitation relief for Limpopo schools
#FixOurSchools #SeritiMoDokolong
On Tuesday 11 April, Equal Education (EE) learner members will march to the Limpopo Department of Education (LDoE) offices in Polokwane to demand urgent sanitation relief for all priority one schools. Priority one schools are schools with illegal plain pit toilets as their only form of sanitation. Plain pit toilets were completely banned from schools by the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure (the school infrastructure law) in 2013, and had to be removed and replaced by 2016.
It has been 10 years since the introduction of the school infrastructure law, and all of the sanitation delivery deadlines (2016 and 2020) have been missed. Based on plans the LDoE submitted to the court in 2021 priority one schools should have received sanitation upgrades by March 2023. This deadline has also been missed. It is urgent that the LDoE provide these schools with adequate, proper, and safe toilet facilities to meet the necessary hygiene and safety standards for a conducive learning environment.
As long as these illegal pit toilets exist in schools, children’s rights will continue to be violated. We cannot and will not sit back while the LDoE continuously fails to meet the deadlines for school sanitation upgrades.
EE members in Limpopo will be marching to the LDoE offices in Polokwane to demand the following:
- Urgent sanitation relief for priority one schools such as Tutwana Primary School and Seipone Secondary School;
- Immediate provision of mobile toilets to these schools as a short-term interim intervention based on their implementation plan, while the department works swiftly in providing permanent proper toilets.
When: Tuesday, 11 April 2023
Time: 9am
Where: We will march from the Thobela FM offices located at 19 Hospital Street, Polokwane to the Limpopo Department of Education offices located at 113 Biccard St, Polokwane.
For further information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Jay-Dee Cyster (Equal Education Communications Manager) jay-dee@equaleducation.org.za or 082 924 1352
