Fire guts eight classes at Drommedaris Primary School in Boksburg

A fire destroyed at least eight classrooms at the Drommedaris Primary School in Reiger Park, Boksburg.

It is understood the blaze broke out on Sunday night and was confirmed by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE).

Spokesperson Steven Mabona said according to information received from the School Governing Body (SGB), one of the school’s general assistants reported the incident and the local fire brigade managed to douse the fire.

“Unfortunately, eight foundation Phase (Grade R – 3) classrooms and the school’s storeroom were damaged as a result of the fire. Police are currently investigating the circumstances that caused the fire.”

“The GDE is working tirelessly to ensure that learning at the school, as well as the health and safety of learners, is not compromised due to this incident. For Today, 6 June all Grade R-3 learners are not at school. GDE Officials and SGB are at the school to come up with a solution on how to accommodate them”, Mabona said.

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With an allocation of R1.9 billion to early childhood development (ECD) from its budget of R59.7 billion, the Gauteng department of education last week said it had offered ECD to more than 164,000 pupils while expanding Grade R to all public primary school pupils, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

The ECD programme was migrated from the department of social development.

Gauteng education MEC Panyanza Lesufi said this would help pupils to grow in an education environment and stop ECD centres from being considered as existing to only provide child care.

Lesufi said his department would research the criteria for funding targeted community-based sites offering Grade R.

Meanwhile, the GDE said it is waiting for further reports from the police after pupils at the M.C. Weiler Primary School in Alexandra discovered what is suspected to be a human body underneath a mobile classroom within the school premises.

Mabona said pupils allegedly went to fetch a soccer ball which was underneath the Grade 5A mobile classroom.

“The learners reportedly identified their discovery as a human skeleton and immediately informed their educators.”

Mabona said the department dispatched its Psycho-Social Unit to the school to provide counselling and trauma support for all affected pupils and staff.

Additional reporting by Lunga Simelane

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