Published by Isolezwe on 1 August 2022
By Kimberley Khumalo (Equal Education Researcher), Dumisani Buthelezi (Community Leader), Mcebisi Kunene (Junior Organiser)
Abafundi baseSikhumbuzweni Secondary School eKZN kufanele bawele umfula ukuze bafike esikoleni esinengqalasizinda engekho ezingeni,
“Ngihlala endaweni oyihamba cishe ihora nemizuzu engu-30 ukusuka esikoleni sami. Indaba yokuhamba ibanga elide nokuwela umfula ingithintile kakhulu ngoba yenza ukuthi amamaki ami ehle futhi izinga lami lokuphasa liphansi ngoba bengilova esikoleni.” – Mampo Motloung, umfundi oyilungu le-Equal Education ofunda eSikhumbuzweni Secondary School.
I-Equal Education (EE) ibilwela ukuthi uhulumeni axhase ngezithuthi eziphephile kubo bonke abafundi abahamba amabanga amade beya esikoleni eNquthu naseKZN yonke, nokwenza uMnyango wezeMfundo KwaZulu-Natal uhlinzeke ngamabhasi namatekisi ezikoleni eziningana zaseNquthu. Ngo-2021 siphumelele ukwenza umnyango ukuthi uphothule futhi udedele inqubomgomo yokuthutha abafundi. Inqubomgomo ibalulekile ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi ezokuthutha eziphephile, ezixhaswe nguhulumeni ziyahlinzekwa kulo lonke elaseKZN. Lo mgomo uyichaza ngokucacile indima yoMnyango wezeMfundo eKZN neyoMnyango wezokuThutha uma kukhulunywa ngokuhlinzekwa ngezokuthutha. Umgomo uyalela umnyango wezokuThutha ukuthi awubambe iqhaza ubahlinzeke ngezinsiza zokuthutha abafundi esifundazweni. Lokhu kuhlanganisa nokuqapha izimo zemigwaqo emizileni esebenzayo.
Mhla ka 24 Meyi 2022, umfundi oyilungu le-EE ofunda eSikhumbuzweni, KwaZulu-Natal, wathinta i-EE ebika ngobunzima ababhekana nabo ohambeni lwabo lokuya esikoleni, nasesikoleni uma izulu lina.
Savakashela esikoleni sakhe siyohlangana nama-Equaliser (abafundi abangamalungu e-EE), uthishanhloko nesigungu esilawula isikole ukuze siqonde kangcono ubunzima umphakathi owakhele isikole obhekene nabo futhi sisize ekwakheni uhlelo lokumelana nesimo. Ama Equaliser aqale agcizelela umthelela wemigwaqo ebhedayo kanye nokungabikho kwamabhuloho okwenza kube nzima ukuthi bafinyelele esikoleni. Okwesibili, bagqamise ukuthi ingqalasizinda yezikole iyabheda. Bakhala ngokuthi isimo samakilasi abo, sibulala ilungelo labo lokufunda. Babuye bachaza ukuthi:
Abakwazi ukuya esikoleni uma imvula ina ingoba umfula uyagcwala.
Awukho umgwaqo ophephile ongasetshenziswa yibhasi lesikole uma beya esikoleni.
Bayalova esikoleni izinsuku ezimbili ngesonto.
Uma izulu lina imvula ingena ngaphakathi emagumbini okufundela, futhi abakwazi ukufunda.
Uma kubanda – bayagodola ngenxa yokuthi amagumbi okufundela awanamawindi abafundi abakwazi ukugxilisa ingqondo ekilasini kanti kugcina sekufundelwa ngaphandle noma yikuphi lapho kunelanga khona.
Ilungu lesigungu esilawula isikole, uMnuz Khumalo, lisitshele ukuthi kuyinkinga yakudala ukuthi abafundi bafundele ezimeni ezinzima bengaphephile. Ngesinye isikhathi bekwenzeka ukuthi uMnyango wezeMfundo ungakwazi ukuletha amaphepha ezivivinyo esikoleni ngenxa yokuthi imigwaqo isesimeni esibi. Abafundi kwadingeka ukuthi babhale izivivinyo kwesinye isikole ngoba bengakwazi ukufinyelela esikoleni sabo. UKhumalo wathi umphakathi usuyekile ukulwela ukuthi kwakhiwe ibhuloho lokuwela umfula ukuze abantu nezimoto zikwazi ukuhamba ngaphesheya komfula, Kuyacaca ukuthi amakhansela awayingeni eyokulungisa inkinga.
Sazibonela ukuthi umfula okumele abafundi bawuwele uma beya esikoleni noma behamba ngezinyawo noma ngamabhasi, uyingozi futhi kunzima ukuwela ngisho noma izulu lingani. Sibonile nokuthi amagumbi okufundela asesimeni esibi. Amagumbi amaningi anamafasitela afile, alukho uphahla, kunemigodi phansi. Lokhu kwenza ukufunda nokufundisa kube nzima kakhulu.
Inqubomgomo ebizwa ngomhlahlandlela wokugcinwa kwezinsiza zezemfundo, ugcizelela isidingo sokuthi uMnyango wezeMfundo kuZwelonke nowezemfundo eKZN babe nendlela eqondile yokunakekela ingqalasizinda yesikole ukuze kushintshwe izakhiwo ezibhedayo. Kuyacaca ukuthi sekuphele iminyaka amagumbi okufundela eSikhumbuzweni enganakekelwa.
ISikhumbuzweni isezikoleni ezintathu zokuqala esazitholela ezokuthutha ngo-2015, emkhankasweni wethu wokuthutha abafundi. Yize kubaluleke kakhulu futhi kukhuthaza ukuthi izikole zithole amabhasi namatekisi okuthutha abafundi, sibonile ukuthi cishe kungenzeka kalula ukuthi abafundi basebenzise ezokuthutha uma imigwaqo imibi.
Sicela uMnyango wezeMfundo uqinisekise ukuthi ilungelo labafundi lemfundo liyavikelwa, Sicela uMnyango usebenze ngokushesha ekulungiseni nasekuthuthukiseni amagumbi okufundela angaphephile eSikhumbuzweni. Okwesibili, sicela ukuthi uMnyango wezeMfundo uxhumane nowezokuThutha ngeqhaza lawo lokuqapha izimo zemigwaqo futhi baqinisekise ukuthi kwakhiwa ibhuloho elizokwenza ukuthi abafundi bafike bephephile esikoleni ngisho noma izulu lina.
