Part of the National Development Plan’s vision is that, by 2030, South Africans will have universal early childhood education, high-quality schooling, and full access to further education and training.

The achievement of this vision stands to be seriously hindered by poor school infrastructure, since infrastructure plays a crucial role in the teaching and learning process. There are still thousands of schools that lack proper sanitation, water, buildings, etc.

According to the Department of Basic Education’s National Education Infrastructure Management System (NEIMS) report, there were 3 544 schools with no electricity and 913 with no ablution facilities, while 3 532 were still using pit latrine toilets. There were 2 402 schools with no water supply, while a further 2 611 schools had an unreliable water supply. There are also currently over 400 schools in the Eastern Cape that are classified as ‘mud schools’, many of them consisting of mud and corrugated iron.

Paper by CPLO