Kaalfontein High School, a mobile school made of movable containers, recently received a revamp.
“Kwikspace only took four to five months to complete 26 classrooms and a double-storey of six classrooms including the administrative office,” said the school’s principal, Kodisang Maduma.
“I must indicate that the engineers surprised us all and the structure is very beautiful and durable with a brick and mortar foundation.”
Pupils from Grade 8 to 12 are direct beneficiaries of the buildings. “The classrooms are spacious and can accommodate 45 to 50 pupils. Currently, they accommodate 1 472 from Grade 8 to Grade 12,” he said.
The Gauteng Education Department contracted Kwikspace to target the issue of over-crowded classrooms that affects 533 schools in the province. The mobile solutions company erected the structures from a steel and concrete structural frame. When asked about the durability of the structures, the company’s executive manager, Con de Villiers said, “We erected an alternative modular double-storey building for the very first time in South Africa, with a concrete slab on the second floor. This double-storey structure included an additional ablution unit that represents a new design style and methods of construction, incorporating classrooms and ablutions within the same block.”
De Villiers said they were positive about their new design, “We are continuously developing it to achieve maximum financial viability. The fact is that if the department cannot find alternative properties in a township close enough to serve the community, then a double-storey is the only solution.”
“The double-storey design offers a solution to their accommodation requirements and ensures that there are enough open green and playground areas,” he said.
Maduma said the design of the structure has enhanced the confidence levels of his pupils. “The layout includes toilets with mirrors, beautiful pathways and outstanding an landscape. It changed the thinking and behaviour of our pupils,” he said. Maduma added that this has positively affected their academic performance. “Educators can now park their cars on paved parking, and pupils walk under the shade. The school is green and there is life around it,” he said proudly.
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