A recent Democratic Alliance (DA) oversight visit to Ikusasalethu Primary School in Ward 64, Ekurhuleni has revealed shocking conditions that demand immediate attention from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE).
The school, classified as Quintile 4 but functioning as a no-fee paying Quintile 1 school, is facing numerous challenges that are severely impacting the quality of education.
The school’s infrastructure is in a deplorable state, with learners forced to attend classes in containers installed in 2012. The makeshift classrooms are unbearable, with extreme temperatures affecting students’ ability to learn. Despite submitting a PO1 form, the school is still awaiting construction of a proper building.
Other pressing issues include:
• High assessment rates and inherited arrears of R80,000
• Inadequate and dilapidated ablution facilities (6 toilets for 40 female teachers)
• No scholar transport
• Vandalism and theft of school property
• No generator, impacting teaching and exams during power outages
• Irregular gas delivery affecting the feeding scheme
Infrequent refuse removal
These issues will urgently be taken up by DA Members of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, where we will ask that:
- The school be reclassified as a Quintile 1 school;
- The Gauteng Department of Education provide a timeline for constructing a proper school building;
- Allocate a service provider for gas delivery to support the daily feeding scheme timetable;
- Address the issue of undocumented children and provide support for learners with disabilities; and
- We will highlight the need for intervention where scholars with disabilities or special needs are assisted to be placed in appropriate schools.
We will not stand idly by while our children are denied access to quality education. The GDE must take immediate action to address these unacceptable conditions and ensure every child receives the education they deserve.
The DA calls on the GDE to take urgent action to rectify these issues and provide a conducive learning environment for the students of Ikusasalethu Primary School.