Teachers can't even move in overcrowded classes

Sixty-seven pupils squeeze into a single classroom built for half that number. Huddled three to a desk or on the floor, the children strain to hear the teacher’s voice, which is drowned out by the noise reverberating through the packed room.

This is the reality in several overcrowded Gauteng schools, as observed by Sowetan during visits last week to Cosmo City Primary 1, Cosmo City Junior Primary School, and Blue Eagle Primary School, all located in the north-western part of the province.

In one of Cosmo City Primary 1 classrooms, the teacher’s voice was barely audible above the chatter and restlessness of the packed room, with nearly 70 children crammed into a structure built for 30.

Desks were shared by up to three pupils, while others sat on the floor or leant against the walls with notebooks on their laps.

“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.”

* Pseudonyms used

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