In the past decade, 41 public schools in Gauteng have been closed due to unsafe infrastructure and poor long-term planning by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE).
This closure comes at a time when the province is grappling with overcrowding and the dreadful use of asbestos in classrooms in some schools. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands that the GDE repurpose all safe but unused schools to create new learning spaces.
This action would alleviate pressure on current schools and ensure every learner has access to quality education nearby where they reside.
Replying to questions posed by the DA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), GDE MEC, Matome Chiloane, confirmed that 26 schools were closed due to dolomitic instability and sinkhole formation, posing severe safety risks to learners and staff.
A further 15 schools were closed due to low enrolment and have been returned to the Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) or to private owners, while four were repurposed and merged with other schools.
Worryingly, two schools were repurposed, despite being on unsafe dolomitic land. The DA will be asking further questions about this issue.
These closures highlight the department’s continued failure to anticipate and manage infrastructure risks in a province already facing a severe school shortage.
Each closure deprives communities of essential education facilities and forces learners into overcrowded classrooms far from home.
Many families are burdened with additional transport costs, further exacerbating the challenges affected communities face.
The DA believes that the 15 schools closed due to declining enrolment could be safely repurposed and reopened to provide much-needed relief to overcrowded schools. However, the GDE has failed to act and take advantage of the opportunity to expand the number of available schools through reusing existing infrastructure.
This failure is more concerning given the growing evidence that GDE and DID are incapable of delivering new proper schools within budget and on time.
The DA will table follow-up questions to MEC Matome Chiloane, demanding that he clarify why the department has failed to repurpose and reopen the 15 schools, despite the pressing need for more educational facilities in the province.
If any plans are underway to address this issue, we demand clear timelines for their execution to ensure transparency and accountability.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would prioritise proactive infrastructure audits, early intervention in at-risk schools, and the strategic reuse of vacant buildings to expand access to safe and functional learning environments across Gauteng.
Through these actions, the DA would secure the futures of our learners by ensuring that they have access to quality education in secure facilities and that its staff have access to safe and dignified sanitation facilities.