Plans to address the school furniture backlogs in schools are afoot, as the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) has devised a project to refurbish unused school furniture through Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges.
These plans according to Acting Superintendent General (SG) Mthunywa Ngonzo, are there to ensure that all schools have sufficient furniture for learners and teachers, monitor school furniture budget and expenditure among other issues. “The project stands on two legs namely new furniture, which will be procured by a tender process and refurbished furniture which will be done in-house by FET Colleges,” explained Ngonzo.
All eight FET Colleges according to him were approached to participate in this project and of the eight only three responded positively. “Others indicated that due to space and workshop unavailability they will not be able to participate. King Hintsa FET College is currently engaged in the project,” said Ngonzo.
King Hintsa FET College has until recently finished 32 double stackable desks for the senior grade, 3000 frames for Grade R to Grade 4, 200 chairs and 1500 seats for double combination desks for the intermediate and senior grades that are ready to be delivered.
“There are also 1000 single stackable tops that still need frames and 80 frames for double combine desks but there is no wood,” emphasised Ngonzo. He added that the reason why there are frames left without tops is that King Hintsa College has not followed specification as stipulated in the agreement. Some of the challenges facing the College are thousands of tops without frames, quotations that the college has from its suppliers are too high and the tops are not to specifications. “The tops are 16mm instead of the specified 21mm which then means that there are so many frames left without tops,” said Ngonzo.
He went on to say an intervention has been made by the department to ensure that the College adheres to the specifications for the refurbishment of the furniture and the College has made quite a number of deliveries. “600 desks and 600 chairs have already been delivered to Pre-Primary schools in eight Districts and there are still 424 desks and 1196 chairs ready for immediate delivery.”
He also cautioned that the department is monitoring the transfers and utilisation of this project funds, while at the same time ensuring that Colleges are accountable to the school furniture steering committee.
