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The Herald
a day ago
- General
- The Herald
‘The children deserve better than this — we're drowning'
'Teaching is very difficult,' Boitumelo Mokoena*, a teacher at the school, said. 'Most classes have 60 to 70 learners. You're lucky if 10 are really paying attention. We're expected to teach all subjects to all of them and just hope they're listening.' She described how overcrowding impeded her basic movement, saying she was often unable to reach the pupils at the back of the class. 'I can't walk around the classroom; and I can't even move at all because you would find students sitting at my feet. 'I have to shout for attention and even then, you only reach a few students. It's really hard for students to grasp the subject when they can't hear me,' she said. Another teacher, Kamogelo Mahlangu*, said the school had a capacity for 1,081 pupils but was accommodating more than 2,000. 'The most we've had in one class is at least 120 pupils and when it's time for tests, you find that only 10% of the students actually know what they are writing. 'The comprehensive reading is bad; it's not a great teaching environment,' Mahlangu said. Multilingual instruction adds to the challenge. 'We try to teach in at least three languages to support the learners, but with these numbers, it becomes nearly impossible.' Just next door, Cosmos City Junior faces the same crisis. Teacher Ayanda Dlamini said repeated pleas for assistance from the basic education department had been ignored. ' We've been asking the department for more teachers and classrooms for years. Every year, the number of learners increases, but the space and resources stay the same. 'It's heartbreaking because we want to teach, but we are set up to fail. The kids deserve better than this — we're drowning,' he said. At Blue Eagle Primary, a school governing body member said overcrowding was pushing teachers to their limits. 'The recommended teacher-to-learner ratio is one to 40, but many of our classes are 1 to 60. 'The teachers are overwhelmed. You find that some barely go to class and when they do it's too much. They then go on leave because there's too much work,' she said. DA education spokesperson Sergio dos Santos confirmed that the problem was widespread. 'Overcrowding has a serious negative impact on teaching and learning. We've seen classrooms with 92 learners in one room. 'In those conditions, teachers can't get to the learners at the back. There is almost no one-on-one engagement.' He also raised concern about the multilingual instruction challenges faced by schools in the province. 'We support mother-tongue instruction in the foundation phase — especially for literacy — but large, multilingual classrooms need more structured support. Right now, schools are struggling to manage.' When asked to comment, Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona said: ' ... The department did indicate during the learner placement period that because of pressure experienced in certain areas, some schools will be overcrowded. 'As such, we are establishing a satellite school in the said areas, which will assist to alleviate pressure from the overcrowded schools.' * The names in the article have been changed to protect the identity of the teachers and those associated with the schools. This special report into the state of literacy, a collaborative effort by The Herald, Sowetan and Daily Dispatch, was made possible by the Henry Nxumalo Foundation
The Herald
02-06-2025
- General
- The Herald
Teachers can't even move in overcrowded classes
She described how overcrowding impeded her basic movement, saying she was often unable to reach the pupils at the back of the class. 'I can't walk around the classroom; and I can't even move at all because you would find students sitting at my feet. 'I have to shout for attention and even then, you only reach a few students. It's really hard for students to grasp the subject when they can't hear me,' she said. Another teacher, Kamogelo Mahlangu*, said the school had a capacity for 1,081 pupils but was accommodating more than 2,000. 'The most we've had in one class is at least 120 pupils and when it's time for tests, you find that only 10% of the students actually know what they are writing. 'The comprehensive reading is bad; it's not a great teaching environment,' Mahlangu said. Multilingual instruction adds to the challenge. 'We try to teach in at least three languages to support the learners, but with these numbers, it becomes nearly impossible.' Just next door, Cosmos City Junior faces the same crisis. Teacher Ayanda Dlamini said repeated pleas for assistance from the basic education department had been ignored. ' We've been asking the department for more teachers and classrooms for years. Every year, the number of learners increases, but the space and resources stay the same. 'It's heartbreaking because we want to teach, but we are set up to fail. The kids deserve better than this – we're drowning,' he said.
