70 schools in SA red-flagged for structural defects
A tragedy similar to the one at Hoërskool Driehoek is possible at 70 schools in South Africa, after they were red-flagged for structural defects.
On February 1, the country mourned the death of four pupils after a concrete slab above a corridor at Hoërskool Driehoek in Vanderbijlpark collapsed. Twenty-two pupils were injured, some severely.
On 15 February, the Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU) released its national survey on school infrastructure, identifying 70 schools (most in Gauteng and Mpumalanga) being on the brink of collapse.
SAOU’s director of operations Johan Kruger said: “Last week, we visited another school in Gauteng where we found a block of classroom[s] with serious structural problems. The principal of the school then shut down the affected block and asked us not to reveal the identity of the school.
“The SAOU launched a national survey to obtain a more informed picture of the degree of compliance with regulations relating to Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure.
“Arising from the survey, SAOU has identified over 70 schools with infrastructure problems requiring urgent and serious attention to parts of the buildings. The average age of the schools participating in the survey is 68 years,” he said.
Schools from Quintile 1 to 5 participated; schools in the poorest communities are classified as Quintile 1 and schools serving the wealthiest communities are classified as Quintile 5.
Infrastructure in schools deemed to be dangerous included roofs, corridors, staircases, cracks in walls, asbestos classrooms and sewage.
Kruger said 68.3% of the infrastructure problems were reported to the department and 31.7% of were not. And, 71.7% of the schools did not receive any feedback.
“The SAOU will monitor the situation closely and where possible, pay site visits to the affected schools to assist with the submission of complaints or requests for maintenance by the department,” he said.
Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi convened a meeting with student governing body associations, principals and learner leaders to discuss infrastructure maintenance and challenges in schools.
Spokesperson Steve Mabona said: “Schools in some areas, including Tshwane, Kagiso and Roodepoort, were shut down by parents who demanded the MEC come and see them personally because they said the infrastructure of some schools in their areas was not safe,” he said.
Lesufi said schools in the province were becoming death traps and if nothing was done, more tragedies would bring shame. He said his department had secured a loan of R8.5m.
“This was a decision we took together with Gauteng Premier David Makhura. By the year 2023, all mobile schools in the province will be history. In the next two years, all asbestos schools will fall and we will build new schools,” the MEC said.https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/general/2084890/70-schools-in-sa-red-flagged-for-structural-defects/
