Question NW177 to the Minister of Basic Education
05 August 2019 - NW177
De Freitas, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Basic Education
With reference to schools in Johannesburg Wards 23, 54, 55, 56, 57, 124 and 125, what (a) assessments have been done to ascertain the number of additional schools needed in each ward, (b) were the outcomes of the assessments, (c) plans are there to build additional schools in the specified area and (d) are the time frames and deadlines in each case?
Reply:
The response below is as received from the Gauteng Department of education.
a) The Gauteng Department of Education completed infrastructure assessments with regard to the number and type of facilities during the 2018/19 financial year. This data informs the number of additional facilities, including classrooms, required per school and by implication the number of new schools required in any given residential area.
b) There is a total of 38 public ordinary schools in the wards referred to above of which 28 are primary and 10 are secondary schools. There is a total shortage of 23 classrooms in 9 primary schools and 3 classrooms in 1 secondary school, whilst there is a surplus of 53 classrooms in 19 primary schools and 61 classrooms in 9 secondary schools, based on our learner: classroom ratio of 40:1.
c) There are no plans to build additional schools in the area as there isn’t a need for additional schools based on our learner: classroom ratio of 40:1. After the construction of Glenvista Primary School in 2015 the overcrowding in primary schools in these areas was significantly reduced.
d) See (c) above.