UPDATE: North school renovation ‘in pipeline’

A full renovation and rehabilitation of the Wonderboom South Primary School is in the pipeline, the department of education has said.

Last week, the SA teachers union (SAOU) spoke out about the “dangerous” state a the school following a visit.

But the department said a revamp formed part of its long-term plans for the primary school.

“Given the general aged infrastructure at the school, the department is at the planning stage of a project towards a full renovation and rehabilitation of the school,” department spokesperson Steve Mabona said.

“In the short term, the department has appointed two contractors to deal with the one pillar that was found to be moving due to expansive soils and another one to attend to the electrical challenges at the school,” he said.

READ MORE: Fears as north school ‘falls apart’

Mabona added the department was working with the school to make alternative arrangement for the implementation phase of the project.

SAOU operational director Johan Kruger said they were contacted by the school principal last month.

“The principal informed SAOU that the classes were unsafe due to open electrical cables hanging from the ceilings inside the classes and open switchboards with exposed electrical wires.”

He slammed the department for not implemented effective steps to mitigate or address the potential hazard to the safety and health of learners and educators at the school despite the school’s building showing signs of “severe structural deterioration”.

“It seems that no lessons have been learned since the Hoerskool Driehoek tragedy,” Kruger said referring to the Vanderbijlpark school were several learners died when a walker collapsed on them earlier this year.

He called for immediate intervention from the minister and officials.

Kruger said the principal had allegedly reported the “dire” conditions to the department at the beginning of 2018.

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