Goodhope Senior wilts in the southern sun
Tumelo Mouwane | Friday September 4, 2015 14:27
For all the glory at its establishment in February 2008, the grand structures are now a testament to the futility of inescapable aridity.
Even though water has always been a problem at Goodhope Senior, acting deputy school head, Kabelo Mogopodi, says things are getting worse. The grand structure meant to be the pride of Barolong, has faced grinding water shortages since its opening in 2008 due mainly to infrastructure problems, geology and the mammoth student population.
Over the years, students have gone without water for weeks, and – in one troubling incident – suffered stomach aches after drinking from a contaminated Jojo tank.
Lessons have been disrupted, parents have had to fetch their children and the institution’s glory has dulled.
Time and again, government officials and other authorities have declared an end to the water problems, only for them to resurface often stronger and more stubborn than before.
According to Mogopodi, water is the school management’s number one priority and they are working endlessly to resolve the situation.
“The situation has not changed, it is still the same as it was years back. In fact, it has worsened. Academics have been affected by the situation.
We have some students who sometimes miss school because they will be moving around looking for water,” Mogopodi reveals.
He, however, denies a recent report that students missed classes for two days due to the water crisis.
“We have never had a situation where students missed classes for two days. That’s a complete lie,” he says.
A Mmegi news crew at the school this week witnessed a number of students queuing for water during class time.
In response to the crisis, the school management recently placed potable mobile toilets around the school’s entire periphery. Despite the interventions, students are unimpressed with the long-running situation. One reveals that the water supplied made him ‘sick’. “The water situation here has made learning hard for us. We fetch water in the middle of the night at teachers’ quarters.
“This water has made us sick. It’s far worse at the hostels. It’s filthy and you wouldn’t want to go there,” he confides.
Another senior official at the school has concerns about the lack of water and the impact on hygiene.
“I have been here since June, but I have never seen a drop of water flowing out of the taps here. It’s far worse.
Students cannot bath efficiently, they can’t clean their dormitories or do laundry.
“The ablutions are very filthy and students are exposed to health hazards,” she reveals.
The news crew takes a tour to the girls’ hostels where upon arrival one is welcomed by an overpowering foul smell.
Blocked drainages filled with dirty water are evident.
The ablutions are even worse and dirty water on the floor can be seen. It is clear that no cleaning has been done for a while.
A senior cook, who requests anonymity, shares his worries about the hygiene situation.
“Things have changed here. We no longer cook the food on the menu.
We no longer cook macaroni for the students, as it demands a lot of water.
“Sometimes students go for days eating plain bread without either tea or drinks. Sometimes we cook very late because of lack of water.
It’s quite hard to adapt,” she says.
A teacher at the school says the situation has increased the rate of absenteeism among students.
“Students have now found a good scapegoat out of this situation.
They miss classes and there is nothing you can do to them as water is everyone’s struggle. I see this worsening the academic quality in this school,” he says.
Goodhope Senior has a student population of more than 2,000 students with half of this population accommodated in the hostels.