ActionSA celebrates the Gauteng Department of Education's steps to improve infrastructure at Eqinisweni High School, addressing a long-standing crisis affecting student learning conditions in Ivory Park.
Image: Supplied
ActionSA has lauded the Gauteng Department of Education’s decisive move to address the dire infrastructure crisis at Eqinisweni High School, calling it a long-overdue step towards restoring dignity to learners in Ivory Park.
The department's response comes after ActionSA Gauteng MPL John Moodey sounded the alarm in a letter to Education MEC Matome Chiloane in February, demanding urgent and lasting solutions to the dire infrastructure conditions at Eqinisweni High School in Ekurhuleni.
The party pointed out that although Eqinisweni High School was built for 1 600 learners, it now accommodates 2 700, an excess of 1 100 learners with no additional infrastructure provided over the past five years.
In his letter, Moodey mentioned conditions at Eqinisweni High School, citing crumbling classroom infrastructure, extreme overcrowding, broken prefabricated units, a lack of desks and furniture, poor ablution facilities, an overburdened school nutrition programme, and escalating learner ill-discipline — all of which severely undermine the school’s ability to provide a safe and conducive learning environment.
"ActionSA urges the department to intervene in ensuring that more classes and furniture are provided to accommodate the additional learners and, more importantly, measures are put in place to instil and maintain discipline within the school environment. Equally important is to ensure that learners have adequate access to the nutritional programme that is meant to be a buffer for the majority of our communities."
Moodey said that the department has pledged to fix and replace the broken mobile classrooms and will provide 10 new mobile units, each capable of housing 50 learners, to help alleviate overcrowding at the school.
"The department’s decision to initiate the repair and replacement of the broken mobile classrooms, as well as delivering what it said are 10 mobile classrooms that will each accommodate 50 learners, marks a crucial step towards ensuring that the learners at Eqinisweni High School can access a conducive learning environment. Quality education requires a foundation of safe, functional, and supportive facilities, and we are encouraged to see this progress," he added.
Moodey also highlighted that the party took the initiative to launch a clean-up campaign at the school to enhance the overall environment.
He also mentioned that the party will monitor the progress at the school to ensure the work is completed with integrity.
"As ActionSA, we remain committed to advocating for the betterment of public education infrastructure across Gauteng. We will be closely monitoring the ongoing work at Eqinisweni High School to ensure that the process is carried out with integrity, efficiency, and in the best interest of the learners," Moodey said.
The Star
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