Barcelona Primary SGB, parents demand new school

Concerned parents and SGB members of one of the oldest schools in Etwatwa, Barcelona Primary School, are calling for the Department of Education to build a proper school for their children.

This follows the dire state of the school with holes in the floor and cracked walls inside the mobile classrooms.

According to the deputy chairperson of the SGB, Nogolide Zadunge, the department promised to build a new school in order to replace the current one.

“In 2017, we were told that the new school’s budget was approved, however, the only thing that was outstanding was the appointment of the contractor,” said Zadunge.

The chairperson of the SGB, Simon Dlamini, added that in 2017 they met with Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi at the school and he shared that the allocated budget was R210 million.

“He told us that the school would be built the following year but that never materialied until parents protested.
“The department failed to honour its promises till today. As the SGB, it pains us that even though Barcelona Primary School is one of the oldest school in Etwatwa it’s still not taken serious. To think that there are school’s which are much younger than Barcelona Primary School but they’ve been built,” said Dlamini.

Zadunge shared that the conditions of the school have resulted in injuries.

“School children and teachers have been injured inside the classroom due to the collapsing floor.

“The classrooms are also too small to cater for the children and they are too hot. We are also facing a challenge of electricity as it always trips. Eskom shared that they’ll only erect a transformer at the school once the school has been built,” said Zadunge.

Dlamini said as SGB members they’ve also tried to raise funds in their efforts to try and maintain and fix some of the things in the school like toilet’s and taps.

Taking matters to their own hands
On January 28, SGB members with some of the parents went to the Head Offices of the Department of Education in Johannesburg to hand over a memorandum.

In the memorandum seen by the City Times, the SGB members have given the department two weeks to respond to their demands.

They have called for Lesufi to meet with them and outline the progress made regarding the building of the school.

Department of Education responds

According to Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona, the department assures the community of its commitment to fulfil the undertaking to deliver on the project at the school.

“To this effect, the project team is currently finalising stage Four, the Detail Design Development documentation.

“Advertising is planned for February 28 while a 90-day validity period to give allowance for tender evaluation and for appointment of the contractor is planned for May 31. It is planned that a contractor hand over the site by June 8,” said Mabona.

He added that the department will continue to monitor the situation at the school and intervene accordingly.

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