The dust can settle around Laerskool Jeugkrag and its staircases, but dust will twirl again with the building of a permanent structure.
The Standerton Advertiser visited the school on Wednesday, 15 January for a glimpse of the new Grade 1 learners and took the opportunity of looking at the staircases as well.
A concerned mother also contacted the newspaper on 15 January and a call was received from a member of the school governing body (SGB).
An appointment was arranged via the principal, Ms Theresa Bothma, for a meeting with interested parties on Friday, 17 January at 12.30pm.
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https://standertonadvertiser.co.za/96247/parents-sgb-shut-laerskool-jeugkrag/
Ms Bothma and Mr Louis Thabethe, representing the SGB, were present and answered questions about the safety of learners, teachers and staff.
“The Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport decided to demolish the old structure and erect a temporary structure,” Mr Thabethe said.
Ms Bothma said a letter from the engineer about the staircases was shown to parents at the beginning of the school year.
“The department, as well as the Department of Education, concurred that the staircases are safe,” Mr Thabethe added.
The principal outlined the steps that are taken to ensure the safety of all concerned:
• Break-time has been extended to provide ample time for going up and down the staircases.
• After assembly, learners go one by one up the staircase under supervision of a teacher.
• Teachers move between classes to limit learners’ movement on the staircases.
• Teachers and a prefect are stationed at the staircases to make sure no learner attempts to use it without supervision.
• The factotum inspects the staircases twice a day to make sure it is stable.
An e-mail was sent to the spokesman of the department, Mr Jasper Zwane, on 16 January at 9.09am with enquiries about the safety and alleged hold-up with the contractor.
Calls to his cell phone number on 17 January proved futile.
The background to the school’s dilemma began in the early morning of 16 August last year with the wave of placards and sounds of ‘amandla’ and ‘awethu’ in front of the Department of Education in Burger Street.
A strong-worded petition was handed over to the department, citing chapter 2 of the Constitution, the Child Care Act 74 of 1983 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1983.
The tragedy in Vanderbijlpark at Hoërskool Driehoek in February during which learners lost their lives and some were injured, was mentioned.
Their demands included a prioritisation of the safety of the building and staircases at the school.
Mr Thabethe then said parents were anxious and angry. Some of the school’s learners were temporarily accommodated in both the Eskom Hall and the hall at the swimming pool in Florapark in October.
Back to the present, a handing over of the site will take place on Thursday, 23 January.
“The situation is not ideal. “We are taking every precaution not to jeopardise the safety of our learners,” Ms Bothma concluded.
Also read:
https://standertonadvertiser.co.za/96683/construction-work-laerskool-jeugkrag-begin/
