An investigation by: Stephan Lehman, Miguel Abrahams, and Lebogang Sekgwama
The collapse of a walkway at Hoërskool #Driehoek has brought the safety of learners and the structural integrity of school buildings into question.
The collapse occurred on February 1 when learners were leaving a school assembly.
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To find out more about how private and government schools in the Edenvale, Modderfontein and Bedfordview areas ensure the safety of learners, the NEWS met with representatives from various schools.
Government schools
The principal of Edenvale High School, Dr Larry Harmer, alleged the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has never done an inspection of the structural integrity of the school’s buildings.
“Because we are a quintile five, a fee-paying school, we are expected to look after our own infrastructure,” said Harmer.
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He explained the school’s deputy principal, Melt van Zyl, and groundskeepers are largely responsible to ensure the school buildings are safe for learners.
Harmer said when the school notices an issue or wants to alter a building it hires independent contractors, inspectors and structural engineers to assist.
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He said on some occasions the schools call upon structural engineers or building inspectors who are parents of learners to assist.
Most recently the school altered the entrance way to its hall and had to call upon a structural engineer to determine if any of the walls they wanted to move were load-bearing walls.
“When we do upgrades like those done to the pool or Astro fields, we hire companies that have their own inspectors to ensure all work is done properly.
“On top of this, we hire independent building inspectors to inspect the building work.”
Van Zyl said the school conducts an inspection of the buildings every six-day cycle and records the issues that must be attended to.
Additionally, staff are appointed to specific buildings in the school and told to report any building issues.
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“The teachers meet once a month and highlight what must be attended to.”
Harmer said once a term the school lists their infrastructure-related concerns and sends it to the GDE.
However, he said the listed concerns are very rarely attended to.
Laerskool Nobel Primary School
The NEWS’ inquiries brought Nobel Primary’s need for expertise to the fore.
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Nobel Primary’s acting principal, Isreal Zitha, and deputy principal Ryno Rheeder said the GDE is responsible for the structural and building maintenance at the school in Modderfontein.
Rheeder said teachers and staff at the school usually spot small structural damages like cracks in the wall and they try to fill it up.
“We try to keep the school looking good, but we are not professionals so we don’t know the extent of the damage.”
Nobel Primary is currently in need of community members or parents who are structural engineers or any local structural engineers to help the school with a free structural inspection which they can forward to the department.
“We ask the community and parents to pitch in with their skills to help us keep our school safe and structurally sound with efforts to speed up the process of fixing any damages.
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“Structural concerns are taken seriously by the school, but we understand the department has a lot of schools to take care off,” said Zitha.
Private schools
Rob Quayle, who is the registrar and does communications for Reddam House Bedfordview, said the school is responsible for structural maintenance at the school and to make sure they have the best people available for the school’s upkeep.
He said the school does not get any support as the structural maintenance is done internally.
“Reddam House takes the matter of the safety of our children very seriously. In addition, we fulfil the basic requirements of Umalusi,” said Quayle.
He added that the health department conducts regular inspections at Reddam House.
“The management team is also a role player in this process and scrutinises the process throughout,” said Quayle.
The principal, representatives and the group project manager are all responsible to take action on any findings in inspection reports.
Quayle said Reddam House complies with any government standards.
“Should such a situation occur, we would immediately approach structural engineers,” said Quayle.
He said the school would follow up on the guidance of the structural engineers, builders and management and all repairs would be conducted and completed as swiftly as possible.
The school would evacuate affected areas and make sure it is cordoned off with barriers.
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“Reddam conducts regular checks on all safety issues with immediate reporting to higher levels,” said Quayle.
Daniella Smit, from marketing and public relations at St Andrew’s School for Girls, said the estate manager is responsible for anything concerning school buildings, as well as building inspections.
“The staff report on any structural issues and then our structural engineer consults, inspects and reports,” said Smit.
After inspection and report findings, the school follows the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
“Our school complies with all the laws of the land, including the Department of Education’s,” said Smit.
She said findings after inspection may take up to one term.
Smit added that St Andrew’s School for Girls does not get any financial support from the government.
The school is also a historical site.
“Whenever we have large maintenance or building plans, PHRAGG is consulted and approve our designs,” said Smit.
Smit said internal and external maintenance is reviewed consistently so that St Andrew’s School for Girls facilities are well maintained.
The representatives from government and private schools told the NEWS schools are largely responsible for taking care of infrastructure-related concerns and ensuring buildings are safe for learners.
GDE inspects
GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said in order to ensure schools are safe for learners and staff the department conducts various inspections at schools.
Inspections conducted by the GDE include:
• Inspections conducted by principals and staff members at the schools on a daily or weekly basis
• National Education Infrastructure Management Systems assessments conducted annually
• Maintenance inspector assessments
• Physical planner assessments
• BMT assessments, which are done quarterly
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Mabona said the department’s Security and Safety Management Directorate is responsible for matters related to physical security, health and safety while the Infrastructure Planning and Property Management Chief Directorate is responsible for all matters related to infrastructure.
He said when issues are brought to the department’s attention it tries to attend to them as soon as possible.
“The rectification turnaround time is dependent on the size, complexity of the infrastructure concerned and mode of procurement to be used,” he explained.
When a concern is highlighted by the school the department sends an inspector to assess the concerns raised, quantify the amount of work needed by taking measurements on site and preparing a work order for approval towards sourcing of a contractor to do the works.
“In instances where the required work is of a substantive nature and requires major rehabilitation, a member of the planning team conducts a follow-up inspection to budget, plan and schedule the work,” said Mabona.
“The latter process tends to be extensive due to legislative compliance requirements related to various departments’ regulations.”
Mabona said all schools are meant to use 12 per cent of their allocated budget towards the maintenance of the school facility.
Department of Basic Education (DBE) responds to infrastructure concerns
In a media briefing hosted by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga on March 8, Motshekga described infrastructure as the bugbear of the department.
“The provision of infrastructure has not been where our strength lies and the department has had to work hard to find solutions to the severe, historical infrastructure backlogs.
“While most of our focus has been on addressing infrastructure backlogs, the horrific Driehoek tragedy brought maintenance sharply into focus.”
She said recently learners, parents and teachers have looked at existing infrastructure and questioned its structural integrity.
“There needs to be regular inspection and maintenance of school infrastructure to ensure our learners are in safe and secure environments.”
Motshekga said the DBE has launched several initiatives to improve infrastructure, namely the Provincial Schools Building Programme and the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI).
Programmes such as the Provincial Schools Building Programme is implemented by provincial education departments and funded through the Education Infrastructure Grant and contributions from National Treasury funding mechanisms.
Motshekga said ASIDI is driven by the DBE to address inappropriate structures and basic services.
It is funded through the Schools Infrastructure Backlogs Grant.
Some of the ASIDI responsibilities include construction, maintenance, upgrading and rehabilitation of new and existing infrastructure in education, providing infrastructure to match curriculum requirements, replacing inappropriate schools, provision of basic services, addressing damage to infrastructure caused by natural disasters, extending existing schools with additional classrooms/facilities, addressing the achievement of the targets set out in the minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure and enhancing capacity to deliver infrastructure in education.
“I have challenged those responsible for infrastructure across the sector to ensure we build schools fit for purpose,” said Motshekga.
“As the education department, it may be time to look at an external agency, like that of Sanral, that will be solely responsible for education infrastructure.”
She said this will include ongoing planned maintenance so the department can focus on the core business of teaching and learning.
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