adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
PARENTS with children learning at Thekwane High School in Bulilima District have raised concern over water challenges that have been persisting at the school as this could pose health threats for pupils. The Methodist Church-run boarding school has been running on unreliable water sources for more than 10 years.
Parents who spoke in separate interviews said the school authorities had to resolve the problem in order to ensure that children were exposed to a safe environment.
The school which has about 700 pupils relies on a few boreholes.
Ms Lillian Sikhosana said the toilets used by school pupils were in a deplorable state due to lack of water.
“The toilets which our children are using have gone without running water for a long time now and pupils are using buckets to flush the toilets.
“Our children are responsible for cleaning these toilets and it becomes difficult to maintain clean ablution facilities once there is no water,” said Ms Sikhosana.
Another parent, Mr Gabriel Ncube said children had been exposed to an unhygienic environment for a long time and there was a need for authorities to address the situation.
He said the situation became worse when the boreholes which the school relied on dried up.
Mr Ncube said the money which was being paid by parents had to be directed towards ensuring the children had a reliable water source.
“It is amazing that the school authorities would allow the school to rely on unreliable water sources for such a long time without addressing the situation.
“Such a big institution should not be operating only with borehole water,” he said.
Pupils at the school said the water problems worsened during the third term every year. They said they often ran out of borehole water which made it difficult to secure water for flushing and cleaning toilets.
“When the water problems worsen the school authorities ration the use of water. The priority would be to collect drinking and cooking water and at times the toilets go for days without being cleaned and flushed,” said one pupil.
The school’s principal, Reverend Stuart Chibuda said the water challenges which were being faced at the school were disrupting the process of running the school.
He said the water challenges had persisted since 2003 but they had worsened because of the unreliable rainfall patterns.
He said on a yearly basis the school faced its worst water challenges from September to December as that was when the water table was at its lowest thereby making it difficult for pupils to collect water from boreholes.
Reverend Chibuda said school authorities were forced to ration the use of water during that time.
“All along the school was getting its water from a school dam but it was disconnected in 2003 because of siltation and damages to the dam.
“We have an enrolment of 640 pupils but we are trying by all means to contain the numbers because of this water problem. Under normal circumstances we are supposed to be having tap water being pumped from the dam which we use for sanitation and industrial purposes,” he said.
He said it was improper for the school to be operating while relying on a few boreholes for water.
He said the water challenges were posing health threats for pupils learning at the school and they were hoping to address the situation soon.
Reverend Chibuda said financial challenges were making it difficult for the school to set up a reliable water source.
Online Reporter