28-05-2025
A silent tragedy: Children with disabilities endure shocking conditions in hostels
The education system in South Africa continues to mirror the segregation of the past, relegating learners with disabilities to special needs schools and hostels that are understaffed, under-resourced and ill-equipped to provide quality education, write Tommie Lehmkhul and Tshego Phala.
BlindSA and the Equal Education Law Centre have headed to court to advocate for the appointment of curators at Filadelfia Secondary School and Arthur Blaxall School.
These schools, which serve blind and partially sighted pupils, along with their adjoining hostels, have been at the centre of serious concerns about conditions and access to quality education.
The proposed curators will be tasked with investigating these troubling circumstances - conditions that have left many pupils with disabilities, particularly those living in the hostels, without the opportunities guaranteed by their unqualified, constitutionally entrenched right to education under Section 29 of the Constitution.
Alarmingly, the education system in South Africa continues to mirror the segregation of the past, relegating learners with disabilities to special needs schools and hostels that are often far from their homes and families, understaffed and under-resourced and ill-equipped to provide quality education.
READ | More than 130 special needs pupils in Mpumalanga denied education since start of academic year
These pupils are stripped of their right to family life, dignity and equality and to the choices which other children have - simply because of a system which continues to fail to support and reasonably accommodate them.
Within the context of special schools that are far from home and a continued failure (and at times refusal) to reasonably accommodate pupils with disabilities in ordinary public schools, as mandated by the South African Schools Act, parents are often forced to send their children to special school hostels.
Every parent expects that the school they entrust their child with will act as the parent of their child while the child is in their care. Much more so in the case of a child with a disability who, due to the inadequate number of special needs schools across the country, resides in the hostels because of the vast distance between home and school.
The shocking conditions which are rife in these hostels are all the more objectionable in light of the vulnerability of these children who are not in the safe, nurturing environment they deserve.
Across the country, these institutions - meant to be places of care and support - are instead riddled with neglect, abuse, and dangerously poor conditions. The crisis in these hostels is a silent tragedy, and it is time for us to speak up and demand change.
A system in decay
Many hostels housing children with disabilities are in disrepair, lacking basic resources, proper medical care, and trained staff. Overcrowding and poor hygiene are rampant, with children forced to live in conditions that no human should endure. Reports of malnutrition, untreated illnesses, and even physical and emotional abuse have surfaced, yet authorities continue to turn a blind eye.
Over the past few years, countless human rights violations have been reported in special schools and hostels. These violations range from inadequate infrastructure to substandard nutrition and shocking levels of care. Learners and parents have repeatedly complained about abuse, including sexual abuse and neglect. Various exposés and news reports have spotlighted these atrocities, revealing a disturbing pattern of neglect and abuse.
Pupils are left unattended, living in hostels without running water or functional toilets, and are forced to fend for themselves. Disturbingly, some children with disabilities must assist each other with daily living activities - such as changing nappies and bathing - despite their own physical limitations. This is a gross violation of their dignity and rights.
Voices unheard, rights ignored
Pupils with disabilities are consistently overlooked in resource allocation. Education budgets fail to adequately address their needs, reinforcing systemic marginalisation. The chronic shortage of trained staff and lack of accountability create an environment where abuse is both rampant and unreported.
Children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable members of our society. Many of them cannot articulate their suffering, making them easy targets for mistreatment. Staff shortages and a lack of accountability create an environment where abuse can go unnoticed. When these children do cry out for help, their pleas are often dismissed. Their rights, enshrined in national and international laws, are being ignored daily.
When children with disabilities are left in these dire conditions and left in the margins of society, it does not just impact them - it affects all of us. We cannot claim to be a just society while allowing this crisis to persist. These children are being denied access to quality education, healthcare, and social inclusion, setting them up for a future of continued marginalisation and suffering stripped of the opportunity to unlock the multiplier right to education that could enable them to contribute and participate fully within our society.
This is not just an issue for the government; it is a call to action for every citizen. We urge policymakers to take immediate steps to improve hostel conditions, enforce strict monitoring, and allocate resources to ensure proper care. We call on the public to raise awareness, report injustices, and support organisations working to protect these children. Change is possible - but only if we demand it.
READ | SA govt failing disabled children - HRW report
Together, advocacy groups such as Blind SA, assisted by the Equal Education Law Centre, have sought to engage with national and provincial departments about the deplorable conditions in special school hostels. We have repeatedly called for the need for regulations governing these hostels, but our calls have gone unheard, even leading us to launch two separate court applications to have an independent person (called a curator) to visit, document, and monitor conditions at two special needs schools.
It is our hope that these curators will be given the opportunity to investigate the living conditions of these learners and report to the respective courts with recommendations, which we hope will bring positive change in the learners' lives.
In response to the government's inaction, we must continue to raise our voices and demand accountability. The children in these hostels are not invisible. Their lives matter, their dignity matters, and their future depends on our collective action.
- Tommie Lehmkhul (BlindSA treasurer) and Tshego Phala (EELC executive director) are with Blind SA and Equal Education Law Centre.
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