The Importance of School Infrastructure in Realising the Right to Basic Education

• Learners who are forced to use unhygienic sanitation facilities are exposed to a high risk of diarrhoeal diseases, intestinal worms and other infections. Inadequate sanitation is also linked to a compromised ability to manage HIV.
• Learners at schools with insufficient classrooms who are forced to have lessons outside are exposed to the elements, which may have a negative impact on their health.
• In case where school buildings such as classrooms and school toilets are dilapidated and not properly maintained, this poses a serious safety risk to learners making use of these facilities.
• Poor school infrastructure, and particularly inadequate sanitation, has been linked to a decrease learner’s ability to concentrate and their motivation to learn, leading to increased absenteeism from school, which will then have a negative impact on both education and health.

Providing learners with basic standard of school infrastructure will have a positive impact on both their health and their education. Recognising the importance of school infrastructure in the right to basic education, Goal 24 of Action Plan 2014, Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025, requires Department of Basic Education to provide every school with the physical infrastructure and an environment that inspires learners to want to come to school and learn, and teachers to teach.

School Infra Care NPC carries out programs that seek to advance the right to basic education. School Infra Care NPC has come across the following challenges in relation to school infrastructure:

• Sanitation

Approximately 913 of the public schools in South Africa do not have any toilet facilities and around 11 450 schools make use of pit toilets. The pits at many of these schools are full and toilets cannot be used. They are unsafe, unhygienic and unclean. The structures are dilapidated and have collapsed completely at some schools. At most schools there are no hand washing facilities. There are also not enough toilets for all of the learners at many schools, forcing learners to line up for a long time or to relieve themselves in the bushes. This contributes to a high rate of absenteeism, poor concentration in class and a violation of rights to dignity, equality, health, privacy and basic education.

• Overcrowding and insufficient classrooms

Due to shortages of classrooms, some schools have up to 100 learners in each class. These conditions are not conducive to effective teaching and learning.

• Poorly-maintained classrooms

The conditions of the roofs have deteriorated to such an extent that teachers and learners require umbrellas in their classrooms to keep dry during rainfall.