The Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Siviwe Gwarube, today concluded a series of targeted oversight visits to Pellsrus Primary School and Humansdorp Senior Secondary School in the Kouga Local Municipality, Eastern Cape, to assess progress in school infrastructure upgrades and to reinforce the implementation of national school safety measures.
At Pellsrus Primary School, the Minister engaged directly with the newly appointed contractor responsible for accelerating outstanding infrastructure work under the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) initiative. The oversight programme included a structured walkabout of the school premises to verify that previous delays in sanitation upgrades were being resolved and that project timelines were being realigned to ensure learners access safe, reliable, and dignified sanitation facilities without further deferment. This engagement reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to strengthening accountability and fast-tracking delivery in historically constrained environments.
Minister Gwarube then proceeded to Humansdorp Senior Secondary School, where she led a comprehensive school safety briefing with the School Management Team (SMT), educators, and community stakeholders. The Minister reviewed the school’s safety documentation to ensure alignment with the National School Safety Framework (NSSF), emphasising the necessity of consistent compliance with regulatory prescripts aimed at safeguarding learners and staff. A key highlight of the visit was the signing of the School Safety Pledge, a collective affirmation by learners, educators, and the community to uphold a culture of respect, protection, and shared responsibility in creating secure and enabling learning environments. The pledge underscored the Department’s national efforts to embed the NSSF as a living, functional instrument in all schools across the country.
These oversight visits demonstrated the Department’s strategic prioritisation of infrastructure resilience and school safety as interdependent pillars of an effective and equitable education system. By linking the accelerated work of the SAFE initiative with strengthened adherence to the NSSF, the Minister reinforced the DBE’s commitment to ensuring that every learner in the Eastern Cape and nationally benefits from a schooling environment that is safe, dignified, and conducive to learning.
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