Learners at Durban Deep Primary School in Roodepoort are missing out on being taught in proper and conducive classrooms even though there are plans in place to build a new school.
This is despite promises made by the Gauteng Department of Education that a brick-and-mortar school will be built by March this year.
During an oversight inspection today at the school, the Democratic Alliance (DA) discovered that construction on the new school has not yet commenced as there are still people living on the land that has been earmarked for the new school.
The current school still does not have a proper supply of electricity and currently uses generators.
At Braamfischer Primary School, construction work is underway, but the progress is slow, and the school will not be complete by next year.
The Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, made claims earlier this month that this school would be fully occupied in January 2024; unfortunately, this won’t be the case. The project has been experiencing delays that have resulted in moving the completion targets.
There are still structural defects that need to be fixed. No work has been done on the sports field; the kitchen is still in a mobile container because the completed building cannot be occupied.
See photos here, here, here and here.
It is worrying that both of these projects are nowhere near completion. The longer it takes to complete the project, the more money it will cost the department.
In the admin block, not all the toilets are working.
Learning and teaching can only take place properly if there are proper facilities at all our schools. The DA will be tabling follow-up questions regarding both schools to determine exactly when the construction will be completed.