The ongoing struggle for sanitation in South African public schools

Thirty years post-democracy, we are still fighting for improved sanitation facilities and infrastructure at public schools in South Africa.

Countries such as Tunisia and Egypt have been in the lead in relation to school refurbishment and access to sanitation and the basic amenities at their schools for their learners.

The Education Minister publicly declared that by the end of March in 2025 all pit toilets in public schools will be replaced by up flush toilets and these schools would be refurbished with running water.

Then there are schools that still do not have a single flushing toilet and there are others that are on the waiting list for the removal of pit toilets. The number of schools that still lack bathrooms and kitchens are numerous and a constant threat to the well-being of our children and educators.

Unfortunately, schools in rural areas that were previously disadvantaged due to the apartheid regulations are the ones that remain with pit toilets. Approximately more than 1000 schools in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo still lack up flush toilets and are utilising pit toilets.

The inequality between public schools in various provinces is evident as public schools in the Western Cape, Gauteng, and Free State all have operational up flush toilets.

In some instances, the pit toilets were replaced with ventilated improved pit latrines that do not meet safety standards for young children, which means that these replacement toilets still can be deemed as unsafe and dangerous for children, especially under the ages of 10 years.

These refurbishments took place before the year 2018. The backlog of these modifications affects KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

Some of these schools do not even have private cubicles that allow one the privacy to utilise the pit toilet at ease and with self-respect.

These are urgent school refurbishments that should have ideally been completed within the first few years of democratic governance. Schools located in rural areas are not always within reach, therefore, making it far more time-consuming and expensive to implement infrastructural changes.

In addition, the lack of systematic financial planning and information to prepare and plan adequately for such infrastructural developments requires accurate data that is adequate for this project.

The Limpopo province has been criticised for under-reporting and falsifying information which has led to the misallocation of funds to address these challenges. Corruption, the mismanagement of funds and embezzlement has continuously delayed the progress of these projects and have impacted the child’s experience at schools.

The deadlines in 2016 were missed and a plan was developed to continue the project since then. Yet there are schools that have been unattended to.

The lack of proper sanitation and infrastructure hinders the child’s developmental capacities. It has been documented by scholars that learners are not keen to attend school regularly when there is poor sanitation facilities coupled with other concerns such as a lack of provision for the meals from the National Schools Nutrition Programme.

The lack of proper sanitation is unsafe and unhygienic which has also been noted to contribute to child mortality and fatal illnesses in South Africa.

We also need to note that these schools that have been refurbished require a maintenance and management program which can incur costs for maintenance and regular inspection.

Schools should be environments which are safe, hygienic and more importantly be able to serve the basic needs of our people. Basic human rights as highlighted in our constitution include access to sanitation, running water, amongst other necessities.

It is rather sad and detrimental to the well-being of society that we have to be reminded of these shortcomings through the acknowledgement of World Toilet Day.

An urgent programme needs to be put in place to address these needs, coupled with a systematic evaluation program. In 2026, it will be another decade that has passed where our learners that are enrolled at government schools utilise the unsafe pit toilet and have limited access to water.

*The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.

DAILY NEWS