Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng conducted oversight inspections at three schools in Braamfischer in Soweto, and were shocked to discover the terrible state of learning and teaching at the Braamfischer Primary School.
Learners were found not to be observing social distancing protocols, while the school remains overcrowded due to 15 mobile container classrooms located at the construction site that remain inaccessible.
The construction concerns the new brick and mortar classrooms that are still being built.
Some of the classroom containers are old, dilapidated, with the staff room not occupied, while the containers are not being used for safety reasons.
Due to some overcrowded container classrooms, other learners are being taught outside with no shade because of the inadequate space to accommodate all the learners.
The construction of the brick and mortar classrooms began April 2017 , with unnecessary delays in completing the project. The school holiday period should have been used to finish the construction and avoid any delays in opening the new learning spaces.
This clearly indicates that there was no proper preparation done for the opening of the 2021 academic year at this school.
Oversight inspections were also conducted at the Moses Kotane Primary School and the Siyabonga Secondary School where learning and teaching resumed well without any disruptions. These schools received all their study materials and protective personnel equipment on time.
The DA calls on the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi to urgently intervene at the Braamfischer Primary School to ensure that the environment is conducive for learning and teaching, and that standard health protocols are adhered to.
We also call on the MEC to ensure that all unplaced learners are allocated schools before the end of the week.
The DA believes that no learner should be deprived access to education and that it is the responsibility of the department to ensure that all learners are accommodated.