In her endeavour to eradicate the backlog of schools in the province, Gauteng
MEC for Education, Ms Barbara Creecy officially handed over a much needed Secondary School to the community of Katlehong, on the East Rand, today.
Katlehong Secondary School represents the new style of school buildings that the department has commissioned in order to allow all newly built schools to provide all the facilities needed to address the necessary curriculum requirements as well as to create a positive learning environment for the learners. This is in line with the Gauteng Department of Education’s policy of ensuring that no learner walks more than five kilometres in order to get the quality education that they deserve.
The school is part of a ground–breaking approach adopted by the Department to deliver quality schools, on time and within budget, while at the same time ensuring that emerging contractors are empowered through skills development. Katlehong Secondary School will be able to accommodate around 500 learners within it’s 24 to 28 classrooms. The significance of the new school is that it now creates an opportunity for grade seven learners from nearby primary schools to apply for admission to a secondary school in 2010 that will be much closer to their residences.
The government, under the leadership of President Jacob Zuma, has outlined an ambitious set of commitments aimed at achieving a major renewal of public education in South Africa. Among the objectives that have been set, is to raise the bar of quality education in the classroom everyday. This objective will be achieved through the delivery of quality schools with good facilities (as found at Katlehong Secondary School) and a good working relationship between principals, educators, learners, parents and community members in Gauteng.
Katlehong Secondary School was constructed by Mafuri SSI, who was chosen by the department as one of the preferred bidders due to the fact that they offered an enabling environment where small black owned construction companies can prosper, as they provide them with financial and managerial support over the course of the project. Thus far the company has been able to deliver 16 schools to the department.
Mafuri SSI also ensures that the local communities, where these schools are built, are engaged at all times in order for them to feel part of the process and to ensure that local labour and skills out of the community are utilised in the construction of their school.
The Gauteng Department of Education urges all learners, educators, parents and community members to take ownership of their new school and to work together in ensuring that it remains in the impeccable condition in which it was officially opened, so that all the learners that must still attend this beautiful school in the future also have the same pride and desire for excellence when they enrol at Katlehong Secondary School.
For more information contact:
Nanagolo Leopeng
Cell: 083 450 2872
Tel: 011 355 0414
Issued by: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government
17 October 2009
Source: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government
(http://www.education.gpg.gov.za/)
