Local school appeals for aid to renovate crumbling classrooms

Lack of resources, battered structure, illegal dumping along the perimeter and repeated break-ins are demoralising staff and affecting learners' overall well-being and motivation to attend school.

February 20, 2025

Fanie Mthupha 2 minutes read

The school has appealed for help to replace the broken windows.

In efforts to ensure that the over 2 300 Goedehoop Primary School pupils learn comfortably, management at this school has appealed to local organisations for help to give the 120-year-old infrastructure a facelift.

The principal of this no-fee-paying school, Patricia Peters, expressed her concerns about the sad state of the infrastructure, saying dozens of the school’s classrooms suffer from broken windows, floors, ceilings and inadequate resources, which greatly inconvenience the learning and teaching process.

At least 52 classrooms as well as the office block need refurbishment.

Repeated vandalism and break-ins have left several classrooms with holes and broken windows.

This includes painting, tiling, paving of pathways, replacement and installation of windows, doors, whiteboards, burglar bars, perspex sheets, construction of covered eating area for learners, provision of sports equipment, electric siren, and office and classroom furniture including tables, chairs, cupboards.

The school needs your support to refurbish a number of classrooms.

This school still has asbestos structures, with classrooms in disrepair.

Your help with painting and the provision of furniture among other things may help the school offer learners a more conducive learning environment.

Peters said during harsh weather, especially in winter, learners struggle to concentrate due to the cold coming in through the broken windows – creating an uncomfortable and distracting environment for both learners and staff.
She added that with the high number of learners and growing school population, the need for additional classrooms has become increasingly urgent.

The school is also in need of sports equipment.

While management acknowledged the efforts by the Gauteng Department of Education in ensuring a conducive learning environment to support effective teaching and learning, they noted that while this assistance is valuable, more action is needed as large sections of the ageing infrastructure is in disrepair.

“As education evolves, modern facilities equipped to align with our programme, like the privately donated facility (the Shine Literacy Centre) are essential for preparing students for the future.”
To support the school improve its physical environment, you may contact management at 010 615 0966.

Criminals deprive learners of safe learning environment
To rub salt in the wound, this school has been a constant target of vandalism and break-ins.

According to Peters, the facility had before the new academic year started last month, suffered repeated acts of vandalism and break-ins, where the windows and doors were broken and school equipment targeted.

She urged the community at large to work with the school and law enforcement agencies to ensure that those responsible for robbing pupils of their right to a safe and conducive learning environment are brought to book for their actions.

This school still has asbestos structures, with classrooms that have seen better days.
“There is also the issue of illegal dumping along the school perimeter fence, which puts the health of the over 2 300 population of the school at serious risk.”