The Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, officially handed over the newly constructed Julius Sebolai Primary School in Bram Fischerville on 2 April.
The schools identified for upgrades will change the lives of the learners and bring hope to the communities they live in. This process will also put emphasis on a speedy service delivery process and frequent stakeholder engagement.
Julius Sebolai Primary boasts the following:
• An administration block
• 33 ‘Smart’ classrooms (Grade R block with five classes, Foundation block with 12 classes, Intermediate block with 12 classes and Senior block with four classes)
• Two ‘Smart’ science laboratories
• Two ‘Smart’ multi-purpose rooms
• A computer laboratory
• An IT control room
• A library
• A nutrition centre and dining hall
• A school hall (still under construction) to accommodate 1 200 learners
• Five courtyards
• Concrete palisade fencing
• A guard-house
• Covered walkways
• Sports facility
• Soccer and rugby fields
• Combi courts (netball, basketball and tennis courts)
• Ablution facilities
• Plant room
• 100m3 Underground Rainwater Harvesting Tank
Additional green initiatives include:
• Roof insulation (reduces energy loss from the buildings)
• Glazing (that maximises natural light into the building and reduces energy loss from the building).
• Energy-saving lighting (LED light-fittings)
• Solar water heating
• Rainwater harvesting
• Landscaping
• Insulated walls for heat conservation and sound-proofing
The handing over of this school fulfills the promise to the people of Gauteng that every child in the province will be able to get an education closer to where he or she lives.
“All South Africans have the right to basic education. According to the Bill of Rights of the country’s Constitution, the state has an obligation, through reasonable measures, to progressively make this education available and accessible. However, if the right to education is going to be satisfied, a fundamental building block in achieving this is the provision of suitable facilities in a manner that will stimulate the culture of learning so that it can take root and grow,” Lesufi said.
“The project is structured to encourage participation and offer opportunities to previously disadvantaged individuals, contractors and Affirmable Business Enterprises, without compromising standards and skills. The project also provides skills development through the training and employment of the participants of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP),“he added.
The impact the project has had on the beneficiary community has been remarkable. Its success cannot be measured merely in direct benefits, such as the number of buildings erected, but rather the human benefit that the community has derived from being part of the process. The success of the project has been the direct involvement of the beneficiaries in the planning, implementation and ongoing management of the facilities.
A total of 207 jobs were created: 20 male adults, 14 female adults, 142 male youth, 30 female youth and one disabled person.
“We are proud to present this newly constructed ‘Smart’ school to the people of Bram Fischerville and plead with the community to protect it,” said Lesufi.
