UPDATE: CoE responds to GDE’s findings
CoE said Alpha Study Centre (primary) has not been issued a health certificate.
The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) confirmed it has not received the required paperwork for compliance from Alpha Study Centre Primary for its new premises.
This follows an Independent Schools Directorate’s report after a post-registration requirements monitoring process on May 22.
The GDE report raised concerns about the school’s compliance, but the school has since denied any wrongdoing.
In response to an article in the Bedfordview and Edenvale News July 5 edition (Post-registration issues at school probed by GDE), the CoE stated their environmental health practitioner (EHP) conducted his first inspection on April 26 last year at Alpha Study Centre Senior.
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“They submitted all the required documents, including a rezoning approval, to this division to issue a health certificate.
“They also submitted proof of consent of use and rezoning to town planning to confirm the current property zoning so that environmental health can issue a health certificate.
“The EHP received confirmation the premises was correctly zoned,” said Dlamini.
“The second school, Alpha Study Centre Primary, has not been issued a health certificate because the person in charge stated they were busy rezoning the property,” added Dlamini.
He said the premises has enough ablution facilities that comply with the National Environmental Health Norms and Standards for Premises and Acceptable Monitoring Standards for Environmental Health Practitioners.
“The school has enough ventilation and windows provided.
“They did not provide requirements for the second school as the property has not been rezoned.
“The person in charge stated they have already submitted documents to town planning for rezoning in November 2021 and are waiting for approval,” he said.
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“This division will consider the application upon receiving a rezoning approval.”
Dlamini said the city would issue the facility with the requirements to comply with as soon as the proper zoning documents are submitted, and certificates will also be issued.
The NEWS previously reported the directorate found the school had not notified the department when it relocated from its registered premises.
The directorate also found of the 15 teachers at the school, only six were registered with the South African Council of Educators at the time of the monitoring process, as stated by the GDE spokesperson, Steve Mabona. The school later responded this number increased to seven teachers.
It had its registered address as 25 Whittakers Way, Bedfordview.
“This was after we discovered the school had relocated to new premises at 4 and 6 Willow Crescent, Bedfordview, without obtaining the approval from the department and did not have compliant documents for the new premises,” said Mabona.
Mabona explained the compliant documents required for the new premises are zoning, fire, health and safety and occupancy certificates and floor plans.
