Allegations of learners being denied the use of the toilet facilities outside of break times at Effingham Secondary School have sparked outrage among parents who have taken the matter up with management and have written to the educational and social justice group, Original KZN School Watch, to assist in getting the issue resolved.
Several parents of learners at the school have come out anonymously to protect their children from victimisation and reported the matter to the organisation after their allegations and complaints were not taken up by the school management. In a recent letter written to the school management and Original KZN School Watch, a concerned parent reiterated the latest incident on Wednesday, 10 July, that prompted her to speak out.
“My child was not feeling well and he requested to be excused as he needed to make use of the toilet. The child was asked to stand outside the office. The toilets were locked due to kids smoking inside, from what I was told. My child stood outside the office until he could not hold himself anymore. He was messed from his hip down to his socks and shoes. This affected my child emotionally and he just broke down and cried,” said the parent.
Other parents soon spoke out on the school WhatsApp group chat, recalling similar incidents: “My son asked his teacher to be excused from the class and she told him to wait and took her time to write a note to excuse. He ended up messing himself in the classroom.”
“I spoke to my son who is in Grade 10. He went to the toilet in the morning and it was locked. The caretaker told him the principal said that from now on the toilets will only be opened during lunch. He said as a result, there are long queues during lunch for the toilet, and some kids are not even getting to use the toilet by the time lunch break is over,” said another parent.
“I know of a learner that had to use the toilet so urgently yesterday morning and there was no toilet roll, he had to tear pages from his school book. This may sound funny to some but it’s damn disgusting for kids to be going through this.”
According to a former student governing body (SGB) member at the school, the alleged violation of the learner’s rights has been going on at Effingham Secondary since last term. The former SGB member, who also wished to remain anonymous, said that the parents are afraid to speak out in fear that their children would be victimised by school management.
When the Durban North News approached the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education with the allegations made by the parents and learners, spokesperson, Muzi Mahlambi, denied the reports. He said: “It is not true that the school toilets are inaccessible to learners outside of break times. All learners must produce a slip from their teachers and then utilise the toilets. These are control measures that the school put in place. There is now a reduction of uncontrolled, up and down, smoking in toilets, and the bunking of the classes.”
Bilal Khan of the Original KZN School Watch urged parents to know their rights.
“As a parent, you have the right to ensure your child’s safety and well-being in school. For a parent to see her child standing at the staircase of the parking lot in that state, is disappointing and shocking. The parent called the school when they got home, after consoling her son, and asked why he was not allowed to use the toilet. She was given different excuses. This has raised concerns about schools’ accountability. A parent who wishes to remain anonymous has reached out where her child had messed himself in front of the entire class, as the teacher was taking her time to write a letter for him to be excused. How many more of our kids have to be embarrassed and traumatised for this to be taken seriously?”, asked Khan.
He advised parents to know the law when facing similar incidents and to document everything, report the incident to the school governing body and principal, and escalate to the Department of Education and district office if necessary.
“Parents may also seek legal advice and support from organisations like the Original KZN School Watch. Do not hesitate to act if you suspect any violations of their rights. Together, we can ensure our schools provide a safe and supportive environment for all learners,” added Khan.
Mahlambi said that there have not been any official complaints made to the department.
