Birchleigh residents up in arms over proposed satellite school

Concerned residents of Birchleigh Ext 1 recently called a meeting to get clarification on the proposed Birchleigh Satellite School.

Ward councillor Amanda Davison opened the meeting.

Metja Maja, assistant director of resources planning at the Department of Education, was welcomed to engage with residents.

She told the residents that due to the shortage of schools across Gauteng, the department established temporary satellite schools in the province.

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“The department decided that one such school was needed in Birchleigh,” she said.

“We hope the satellite school will effectively deal with the overflow of learners from schools in the area.”

The reason cited was they could not place many Grade 8 learners in the already overcrowded schools in the area.

Managing principal for the Department of Education, Adelaide Mashego, also took to the floor to share statistics on the current predicament of overcrowded schools and the placement process.

“Children are first placed by residential addresses, then if space is available, whether children have siblings at the school, if there is still place available, then children with parents who work in the area and thereafter where children had attended primary schools nearby would be placed.“

When they opened the floor to the residents, they voiced their anger that no one informed them of the planning of this school.

Residents said they woke up one morning to find a local park staked out for a school.

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Representatives from the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) and ward councillors were also not aware or informed about the proposal for a satellite school.

Residents questioned whether the school would be a temporary structure or a permanent building and felt the answers given to them were vague.

They raised questions about how the failing infrastructure of the area would cope with the additional stress of a school.

One resident said the questions asked were relevant and not political. She stated her child attended the local primary school in Birchleigh and had not been accepted to Birchleigh High.

She said her child was placed at a school in Germiston for 2024, yet they are now building a school in front of her home and her child had to be transported to Germiston.

The resident said the Department of Education had failed the children of the country with their inadequate schools in the townships. These children are placed in schools that are not in their feeder zones.

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“This means children in the area could not attend schools within a 5km radius of their own homes.“

Among the other concerns raised by residents, were about safety within the school.

The residents received no answers regarding their safety concerns.

Several residents also said they were concerned about increased traffic in and out of the area, as well as where school transport would park.

According to residents, Koedoe Avenue was already gridlocked in the mornings and the P91 posed a similar problem for motorists during peak traffic hours.

Those addressing the community could not give answers but said the CoE or Department of Education have done no traffic studies.

Additional concerns were raised surrounding toilets, running water and electricity.

Residents were told that toilets at the school would be flushable and linked to the current sewerage and water lines.

Electricity would also be linked to the current grid.

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They received no answers regarding safe grounds for children to play sports or have break time.

Residents agreed the current lack of space for children in schools was a serious problem, but they said the Department of Education was to blame.

“There is no need for this school in Birchleigh. Most children placed in schools in the area do not live in this area and schools should be better managed in areas where these children reside,” the residents said.

A member of the community mentioned correspondence from their ward councillor stating the satellite school would cater for the overflow from Hoërksool Birchleigh, Norkem Park High and Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld High School.

“How will these children be integrated considering the high crime rate in schools? We need clarification on which children would be attending the school, Birchleigh residents or children from other areas,” the resident said.

Sérgio José Pombo Dos Santos, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, said the correct processes were not followed.

“Most of the time, government departments fail to correspond with local government and councillors. They should have consulted with the residents before putting up palisades,” she said.

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Dos Santos added the land could not be used for a school if they specified it for municipal use properly and that they did not follow the procedure.

He agreed schools were a priority as thousands of children needed to be educated in Gauteng and there was a huge shortage of schools in the province.

He added if the department was honest with the community and did need their buy-in, public participation was vital for the success of this project.

Pieter Swanepoel, director for infrastructure planning and property management at the Gauteng Department of Education, said this had been approved in principle, not officially, but the actual classrooms were of an approved standard.

“This piece of property is made up of smaller pieces to make one big property and is owned by Gauteng provincial government.

“One part is zoned as a community facility, and according to CoE policy, it allows for an educational facility to be erected,” he said.

Swanepoel could not say when the brick-and-mortar school would be erected, as it would depend on how long it takes to get through all the official procedures and processes.