Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Lebogang Maile has held a series of intense discussions with residents and school officials in Sebokeng and Bophelong to tackle pressing issues in the local education sector.

The meetings form part of an initiative called “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child,” which aims to unite the government, local communities, and various groups to safeguard schools and boost academic performance across the province.

A wide range of local groups participated in the talks, including youth organisations, taxi associations, religious leaders, councillors, school governing bodies, sports bodies, and community forums.
The engagement at Sebokeng Technical High School allowed the community to share views on improving schools, recreational facilities, and scholar transport.

Addressing concerns about overcrowding, the MEC indicated that the situation in the region was not as difficult as previously perceived. He explained that inspections conducted at several schools revealed that some classrooms were standing unused, suggesting that additional space was available to accommodate learners.

Maile explained that the current budget does not allow for more schools to be built. He, however, agreed it would be prudent to explore reopening decommissioned schools in the area instead of only considering building new schools. He added that the department was also looking at buying former missionary schools and renovating them as a measure of eradicating overcrowding in some parts of Gauteng.

Furthermore, education stakeholders complained about the constant threats of water and electricity disconnections from the Emfuleni Local Municipality.

They accused the municipality of billing incorrectly and not providing adequate reasons for their charges.

“I don’t understand why a municipality would find it easy to switch off services at a school and disrupt schooling. We will write to Emfuleni on these matters,” the MEC told hundreds of stakeholders.

Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Avril Phali attended the community engagement and urged the GDE to use sports to keep youngsters away from the dangers of the streets. MEC Maile also spoke on school safety and crime, saying the province was considering installing cameras in classrooms in order to deal with bullying, crime, and violence.

The engagements created a platform for direct interaction between the government and various community stakeholders on issues affecting schools and the broader education environment.