Ukhuvethe luveze ukuthi idemokhrasi ayikho ezikoleni
Njengoba sekuphela iviki lokuqala emuva kokuvulwa kwezikole ebezivalwe ngesikhathi izwe livalwe thaqa. Kubalulekile ukuthi sizame ukuthola okuhle okungenzeka ngalesi sikhathi salolu bhubhane, njengokuthi kade kunganakiwe ukubaluleka kokuqikelela inhlanzeko ezikolweni zethu, ukubaluleka kokuba khona kwamanzi okuphuza nawokuhlamba izandla, ukuqashwa kwabantu abazoqikelela ukuthi izikole zethu, ikakhulukazi amakilasi abantwana nothisha abawasebenzisayo ukuthi ahlanzekile ngaso sonke isikhathi.
Lolu bhubhane ukhuvethe lukwazile ukuvuselela onembeza kubantu baseNingizimu Afrika njengoba akekho umuntu obenakile ukuthi othisha basebenza noma bafundisa izingane ngaphansi kwaziphi izimo. Kuyishwa ukuthi ngesikhathi iNingizimu Afrika ingena embusweni wentando yeningi (demokhrasi) uHulumeni wokuqala akazange abeke imfundo eqhulwini lokho sekwenze ukuthi ukufika kwalolu bhubhane emuva kweminyaka engamashumi amabili nesithupha kusifice njengesizwe saboHlanga sihlezi phandle othisha nabantwana bethu ezikolweni besabanga amagceke esikole namakilasi nezinkomo nezimbuzi. Kuyishwa ukuthi ngesikhathi izwe lethu Ngabe belitatazela likhathazeke ngokutholakala kwezimfonyo nemithi yokugeza izandla ukuze kufe leli gciwane, silibone lisatatazeliswa ukuthola amathangi amanzi okuze kwaba yimanje angakatholakali kuzo zonke izikole ezindaweni zaboHlanga. ICorona ibeke obala ukuthi intando yeningi ayikabenzeli lutho olungako abantu abasezindaweni ezisemakhaya nasemalokishini njengoba namanje izikole zabo yizona ezihlulekile ukuvula ngobuningi. Nazo lezo zikole ezivulile zivule ngenxa yokusatshiswa kothishanhloko besatshiswa yiziphathimandla bagcina sebevula izikole ezingenamanzi, ezingenamafasitela naminyango angisakhulumi ngezindlu zangasese.
Iningi lalezi zikole ezivulwe ngenxa yobumenemene beziphathimandla azinazo izindlu zangasese ezanele nezisezingeni elifanele ukusetshenziswa abantwana nothisha. Nakuba zivuliwe izikole ezindaweni ezisemakhaya nasemalokishini uMnyango Wezemfundo uphoqiwe yizona izinyunyana ukuthi ucacamezele ufake amathangi amanzi ngobumnyama. Wona la mathangi afakwe ngobumnyama amanye awo kuzekube manje awanawo amanzi ukuze abantwana nothisha bakwazi ukuphuza nokugeza izandla baphinde basebenzise izindlu zangasese. Izikole ezisemalokishini nasezindaweni ezisemakhaya zinenkinga enkulu yezindlu zangasese njengoba lezi ezinazo akungeneki kuzo kwazise amanzi awekho noma abekho nabantu abaqashiwe ukuqikelela ukuthi zihlala zihlanzekile. Lokhu kuyinkinga kakhulu ezweni lakithi ngoba othisha abasavumelekile ukuthi bagezise abafundi izindlu zangasese nabo laba abasakwenza bakwenza bazi ukuthi ikusasa labo lilengela eweni.
Lena idinga ukusukunyelwa ngokubambisana singabazali, othisha namalungu omphakathi siphoqe uMnyango noHulumeni bahloniphe izikole ngokuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke zinezindlu zangasese ezanele nezihlonipha isithunzi sothisha nabafundi. Isizwe kufanele sazi ukuthi izingane azikwazi ukufundiswa ukubekezelela ukusebenzisa izindlu zangasese ezingahlanzekile futhi ezingekho ezingeni elifanele. Phela izikole yizona okufanele zibe sezingeni elifanele ziphinde zinakekelwe njalo kwazise kufanele ukuthi zikhiqizele izwe abaholi abasezingeni eliphezulu futhi abazokwazi ukwakha umnotho ofanele.
Izwe lizoqhubeka lilahlekelwe abafundi ngenxa yokufundela ezikolweni ezingenamanzi nezingenazo izindlu zangasese ezisezingeni ziphinde zifundele emakilasini anganawo amafasitela neminyango ebusika. Lokhu ngesinye sezizathu ezenza ukuthi ingxenye yabantwana bangcine bengafinyelelanga kumatikuletseni ngenxa yokufundela ezikolweni ezingahloniphi amalungelo abo ziphinde zibafundise ukubekezelela izimo ezifana nalezi.
Kusihluphile ukuzwa ongqonqoshe bepolitika besho izinombolo ezingelona iqiniso lezikole ezingakulungele ukuvula ngenxa yokungahlangabezani nemigomo ebekiwe yokuvulwa kwezikole ngesikhathi salolu bhubhane. Yikho iNational Teachers Union isibhalele uMama u-Angie Motshekga imphoqa ukuthi akhiphe uhla lwezikole ezisezingeni elikufanele ukuvula nolwezikole ezingekho ezingeni bese ephinde ekhipha uhlelo isifundazwe ngasinye esizolusebenzisa ukuqikelela ukuthi izingane ezifunda kulezi zikole ezingazange zivule azilahlekelwa ilungelo lazo lokufunda ngokoMthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika. UHulumeni bekusafanele ubuyele emuva uyothuthukisa izikole ezisemakhaya nasemalokishini ngoba imiphakathi isathembele ezikolweni ezisemadolobheni nezakhelwa ezinye izizwe. Lokhu sekwenze ukuthi umzali othanda ingane yakhe uma ethola umsebenzi aqale ngokuyithutha ayise ezikolweni ezisemadolobheni ngoba efuna iyofunda esikolweni esinenqalasizinda emnikeza ithemba nesiqiniseko sokuthi umntwana wakhe uphephile ezifweni ezibangwa ukuhlala endaweni engcolile noma engenamanzi nezindlu ezifanele. Lokhu kunomthelela omubi emnothweni njengoba uma abantwana befuduka beya edolobheni basuke beyoxhasa umnotho wakhona kuphinde kwenze ukuthi abantwana bakhule bazi ukuthi izinto ezingcono zitholakala edolobheni kuphela futhi ziqhamuka kubantu abamhlophe njengoba izingane ziqala ukubona inhlanzeko edolobheni lapho kunabelungu khona.
Sijabulile ukuthi nanoma siyiNatu singakwazanga ukuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izikole zikulungele ukumelana nezimo okuphilwa ngaphansi kwazo ngesikhathi sobhubhane kepha kusithokozisile ukuthi sikwazile ukuphoqa uMnyango ukuthi uvumele othisha abaneminyaka engama-60 nangaphezulu ukuthi bahlale emakhaya bebe behola kuphinde kutholakale abazongena ezikhaleni zabo okwesikhashana. Lolu bhubhane luphinde lwasilekelela ukuphoqa uMnyango ukuthi uvumele othisha abanamahlalakhona noma abakhulelwe amasonto angama-27 ukuthi nabo bahole behlezi emakhaya kuze kudlule lesi simo. Lokhu kuzolekelela kakhulu ukusindisa impilo yothisha asebemnkantshubovu kuphinde kwakhe amathuba omsebenzi entsheni esinesikhathi eside ingalitholi ithuba lokuwenza umsebenzi ewufundele. Kusithokozisile futhi ukuthi sikwazile ukuphoqa uMnyango ukuthi uphungule amakilasi agcwele ngoweqile okusho ukuthi alikho ekilasi okufanele libe nabantwana abangaphezulu kwama-20.
Ukunciphisa amakilasi kuzosiza ukwandisa amathuba okuqashwa kothisha bokwengeza. Kuzophinde kulekelele uthisha nomfundi ukuthi bakwazi ukusondelana njengoba uthisha esezokwazi ukubona umfundi osele emuva aphinde abenethuba lokumlekelela engakasali kakhulu kwabanye abafundi. Ukugcwala kwamakilasi bekuyinkinga uthisha abhekana nayo uma efuna ukuhlola ukuqonda komfundi ngamunye obekungenzeki ngokushesha okufanele ngenxa yezibalo ezinkulu zabafundi. Sizimisele ukuqinisekesa ukuthi kukhona okuhle okuzovela ngalesi sikhathi esibi kangaka sobhubhane lweCorona.
- U-Allen Thompson uMengameli weNational Teachers Union
