Tyelinzima Junior Secondary School (Engcobo)

Tyelinzima Junior Secondary School in Engcobo, listen, the name alone is doing more heavy lifting than the entire staff combined. Five educators. FIVE. For 132 kids. Bru, that is not a school, that is one very tired person trying to teach five subjects at once while another four colleagues are somewhere making tea and hoping the timetable sorts itself out. One teacher is probably doing English, Maths, Life Skills, Geography AND doubling as the security guard at the gate. And that 26.4 to 1 ratio, jy weet hoe is dit, that teacher is not teaching a class, they are managing a small village. By the time you get to the back row you have basically graduated already. The kids in front are doing Grade 6, the kids at the back have started a small business and are hiring. Now look, it is a no-fee school and respect is due for keeping the doors open in Engcobo with basically nothing, because the Eastern Cape gets forgotten faster than a WhatsApp message on read. Government sends the curriculum, sends the tests, and then sends absolutely nothing else. These 132 kids are showing up every day and that part is not funny at all, that part is actually hard. Overall verdict: A school running on fumes, faith, and five overworked heroes who deserve a bonus, a holiday, and at least three more colleagues.