The Gauteng Education Department has announced urgent measures to support matriculants from schools in Coronationville and Westbury, grappling with ongoing water outages that have significantly disrupted teaching and learning. Many students, particularly Grade 12 learners preparing for their final examinations, are facing unprecedented challenges as they navigate these adverse conditions.
Department spokesperson Steve Mabona highlighted that the recurrent water shortages have not only affected local pupils but have also placed additional strain on those travelling from surrounding areas to attend school. “Teaching has been disrupted in such a way that there isn’t a normal school day,” Mabona explained. “The only challenge in Coronationville is that we have those who are coming from outside those areas. Now the arrangement is that especially the Grade 12s are writing at the neighbouring schools, we’ve made those arrangements for them to continue to write.”
In response to the escalating crisis, the Gauteng Education Department has put contingency plans in place, deploying Jojo tanks to schools in an effort to provide clean water whenever possible. However, Mabona cautioned that the persistent outages have severely compromised this initiative. “We have tanks, and when we have water, we then fill up those tanks. But if on a continuous basis there’s no water, we will then be depleted,” he stated.
The situation has led to heightened tension within the community, culminating in a protest where several individuals were injured due to police intervention. Residents voiced their frustrations about the inadequate response from the authorities regarding the ongoing water shortage, underscoring the urgent need for a sustainable solution.
In the face of these challenges, the Gauteng Education Department remains committed to ensuring that education continues uninterrupted. “We are doing everything within our means to assist our students during this critical time,” Mabona said.