Edleen Primary needs millions to keep it from falling apart
Eight teachers are already being paid for by the governing body
EDLEEN Primary School needs to raise R5 million in 2015 if it is to keep up with its annual maintenance costs.
The school’s annual budget is R6 million and the Department of Education only gives it R767 000.
This was revealed when DA MP, Mike Waters, and ward councillor Tracey Butler, visited the school on February 6 for an official oversight visit.
Apart from a financial perspective, Edleen Primary is also facing issues of overcrowding and urgently needs to upgrade its infrastructure, including walls and ceilings.
According to Waters, the other income the school has, is from school fees, which won’t do much to cover the bills.
“School fees are R350 a month for 10 months and water and lights range between R25 000 and R35 000 a month.”
Although the school was built to accommodate 650 learners, it now has 1 370 pupils, more than double the number for which it was intended.
“To accommodate the increasing number of learners the GDE has provided three additional classrooms, while the school governing body (SGB) has paid for an additional three classrooms and built a library,” Waters said.
Of the 1 370 learners, 700 are girls and 670 boys. According to education department norms there should be one porcelain toilet for every 15 girls and one for every 16 boys.
In order to try maintain the department’s standards, the SGB has spent R40 000 to buy mobile toilets.
“While this has helped tremendously, the school is still below the norm and standards. I will write to the GDE and ask when additional toilets will be installed. The governing body should also be reimbursed for the thousands of rands they have spent out of its own pocket.”
On a better note, the DA said the department was in the process of awarding a R1.8 million upgrade of infrastructure for the school, which would include the repair of an exterior wall, ceilings, the roof and classroom floors.
“I will emphasise to the department the urgent need to fix the exterior wall, as it is a danger to the children and teachers. The DA would like to congratulate the school’s principal, Chris Robinson, and his staff, for their continued dedication to the education of our children,” Waters concluded.
