AFTER almost three years where the construction of additional classrooms at West End Primary School stood still, the Northern Cape Department of Education is terminating the contract with the current service provider.
According to the department’s spokesperson, Geoffrey van der Merwe, 16 additional classrooms as well as two early childhood development (ECD) classrooms were supposed to have been built. “The progress of the construction at this school is a concern to the department. Therefore, we are in the process of terminating the contract of the existing service provider. We envisage that the classrooms will be completed by the end of this year,” Van der Merwe said.
A lot of emphasis by government has been placed on ECD and according to the recent Stats SA General Households Report released last month, only 22.4% of children in the Northern Cape were able to attend early childhood development classes last year.
And, according to a city resident, providing these additional ECD classrooms at institutions such as West End Primary School will go a long way in keeping children in education.
Van der Merwe said that the construction of various schools in the Northern Cape had already been completed in the 2018/19 financial year. These include Karos Primary School, Steynville High School and Phillipvale Primary School.
“What must be remembered is that the construction of new schools are multi-capital projects that stretch over two consecutive financial years,” Van der Merwe pointed out.
During her budget speech in 2018, the then MEC for Education, Martha Bartlett, said that eight new schools would be constructed throughout the Province, including the state-of-the-art Redirile Primary School in the Frances Baard District, Steynville in Pixley ka Seme and Wrenchville Primary and Dithakong High School in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District.
At the same time, she said that Greenpoint Primary in the Frances Baard District, Karos in ZF Mgcawu and Khiba Middle School and Kitlanyang school and hostel in John Taolo Gaetsewe would also be replaced.
The school infrastructure at West End Primary, Vooruitsig Primary and Kimberley Boys’ High would meanwhile be expanded and additional classrooms would be provided.
Bartlett added at the time that the Department of Education had commenced the planning of a new high school in the Gariep hospital area.
In the John Taolo Gaetsewe District, she said planning for a new secondary school between Kuruman and Wrenchville had commenced, as well as a secondary school in the Sishen and Seodin area.
She further stated that the construction of the Mogajaneng primary and secondary schools would commence towards the end of the financial year.
Van der Merwe said that in areas where a high growth in pupil numbers was experienced - specifically in the Frances Baard and John Toalo Gaetsewe districts - mobile classrooms were provided by the department as an interim measure to prevent overcrowding in specific schools.
“The new Wrenchville Primary School and Greenpoint Primary School will be handed over in the third quarter of 2019 as contractors are finalising work to the school halls,” Van der Merwe said.
He added that the construction of Khiba Middle School and Vaal Orange Primary School were well on track. “This, even though we experienced geotechnical challenges in the initial phase.”
Van der Merwe went on to say that the department had also recently conducted the sod turning for the state-of-the-art Rederile Primary School in Galeshewe, Rooirand Primary School in Barkly West, Bankhara Bodulong Primary School near Kuruman and Magojaneng Primary School near Mothibistad, adding that construction would commence in the 2019/20 financial year.
“Our infrastructure plan is aligned with the needs of our Province and the expected growth in terms of pupil numbers. Through our infrastructure plan, we will ensure that we create a conducive environment for learning and teaching in all our schools.
“The MEC for Education, Mac Jack, will relook at the existing infrastructure plan in terms of re-prioritisation,” Van der Merwe said.