The quest to eradicate inappropriate structures used as schools continues as yet another new school was handed over today. The Deputy Minister of Basic Education Enver Surty presided over the handing over of Mqokolweni Senior Primary School to the community of Dikela location in the Libode district in Eastern Cape.
The school forms part of the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI), a national programme that is addressing school infrastructure backlogs in the country especially the inappropriate, unsafe and mud schools.
The Eastern Cape communities have been prioritised to receive the new schools because of school infrastructure challenges experienced in the province. This is happening as a result of the Accelerated School Infrastructure Development Initiative.
The ASIDI project has become part of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) aimed at rolling out infrastructure delivery in the country.
The one-school-a-week campaign was officially launched by the Minister of Basic Education on the 17th of July 2013 at the handover ceremony of Mandela Park Primary school in Mthatha and it coincided with the celebration of the 95th birthday of former President Nelson Mandela. The occasion was used to demonstrate Madiba’s passion for education, especially his rallying call for business to invest in education by building schools in needy communities.
The government’s contribution in replacing inappropriate school structures through ASIDI has become a significant milestone for the expansion of access to basic education for all South African children. The new schools complement the Department of Basic Education’s efforts in fighting against inequality in education.
Local community members, cultural dance groups and school choirs provided the entertainment as the state of the art institution was delivered to them.
