By Nokulunga Majola

Nakuba kusaphele inyanga izikole zivuliwe kodwa umzabalazo usaqhubeka ezikoleni ezingakhokhi njengoba ezinye zazo zibhekene nenkinga yokushoda kwezinsiza zokufunda ezifana nezincwadi zokubhala nokunye.

Esitatimendeni esikhishwe ngomhla ziyi-14 kuMasingana wezi-2024, sekusele izinsuku ezimbili kuvulwe izikole, uMnyango wezeMfundo KwaZulu-Natal uthe usuwulungele unyaka wokufunda. Kodwa-ke, akwenzekanga njengokusho kwawo, njengoba kunezikole ezingenazo izinto ezanele zonyaka.

Uthishanhloko waseRedcliffe Primary School eVerulam, enyakatho yeTheku, uMnuz Nhlakanipho Zwane utshele iphephandaba iSivubela Intuthuko ukuthi unabafundi abangu-1089 kulonyaka kanti izinsiza abebezitholile bezingenele. Ngokusho kukaZwane, le mali abayithola emnyangweni kumele ibhekane nazo zonke izindleko zesikole zonyaka okubalwa nezinsiza zokufunda nezokubhala. “Sinesidingo esikhulu sezincwadi zokubhala esikoleni njengoba isibalo sabafundi siphezulu, abanye abafundi bayaphoqeleka ukuthi basebenzise ibhuku elilodwa ezifundweni ezimbili ngenxa yokushoda kwezinto zokubhala,” usho kanje. UMnuz Zwane uchaza ukuthi uxhaso olutholwe yisikole luyashoda ekuhlangabezaneni nezindleko zokubhala zabafundi abangaphezulu kuka-1000 ababhalisile.

Omunye uthishanhloko waKwaMashu naye uzwakalise ukukhathazeka ngenkinga yesikole esishoda kakhulu ngezinto zokubhala. UNks Ngenzeni Mbonambi ukugcizelele ukuthi abafundi abaningi baphuma emakhaya ahlwempu futhi ukucela abazali ukuthi bathenge izincwadi zokubhala akwenzeki esikoleni sikahulumeni esingakhokhi.

Uthishanhloko waseNanda ongathandanga ukudalulwa uthe lonyaka ubenzima kubona. UMnyango wezeMfundo KwaZulu-Natal awukaze ubakhokhele abantu okuyibona ababathengisela izinsiza zesikole, kanti bathi kuzoba ngoJanuwari 16 kodwa kade kwadlula lolo suku. “SikuFebhuwari manje, kodwa ukube bekungebona ubudlelwano obuhle esinabo nomthengisi ngabe asinazo izinsiza zokubhala zesikole,” kusho yena.  Uthe isimo siya ngokuba sibi minyaka yonke. Izikole zibona sengathi umnyango uyahluleka ukuletha izidingo ezikoleni ukuze bakwazi ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi wokufundisa abantwana. 

Othisha baveze ukuthi abazitholi izidingo zesikole ezanele ngenxa yokuthi abanye abafundi ababhalisiwe eMnyangweni wezeMfundo eyisiSekelo ngenxa yokungabi nawo amaphepha afanele. Bathe izincwadi ezihlinzekwa wumnyango azanele, futhi iningi labazali abaphuma ezindaweni ezintulayo lidonsa kanzima ukuze lihlangabezane nezidingo. Ngenxa yalezi zinselelo, izikole zinxusa uMnyango ukuba usheshise ukuxazulula loludaba, kugcizelelwe ukubaluleka kokuhlinzeka izikole ngezinsiza ezidingekayo ukuze kube lula ukufundisa nokufunda ngempumelelo.

Ebuzwa ngokushoda kwezincwadi zokubhala ezikoleni yize uMnyango uthi ukuthengwa kwenziwa ngaphambi kokuvulwa kwezikole, uMnuz Muzi Mahlambi, okhulumela uMnyango wezeMfundo, ugcizelele umbono woMnyango wathi, “Asikho isikole esingakayitholi incwadi yokubhala noma ngabe kushoda imali. Ngakho-ke, asikho isikole okufanele sikhathazeke ngezinsiza zokufunda.” Kodwa-ke, umehluko phakathi kweziqinisekiso namaqiniso izikole ezibhekene nawo udweba isithombe esikhathazayo.