R97 Million spent on Everest Primary School
MEC Lesufi hands over R97 Million school.
Everest Primary School didn’t just welcome the newly Grade 1 learners on their first day of school but they also welcomed Members of the Executive Council (MEC’s).
The school has been under construction for the past three years and now it has been completed. On January 17, the school held their official opening to the public.
MEC of Education Panyaza Lesufi was present on the day and did a walkabout around the newly constructed building with Member of Parliament Vincent Smith and other officials.
- Everest Primary in Westbury part of the provincial mega-school infrastructure programme – MEC Lesufi
The school was built in two phases. Part of the construction of phase 1 consisted of the library, multi-purpose centre, the laboratory and the nutrition hall.
Phase 2 consisted of the classrooms, admin block and the Grade R classrooms which were built separately. Everest Primary is said to be just one of the 42 schools that the Gauteng Government has rebuilt and opened.
“We don’t want our children to be told that they can’t access quality education because of their skin colour or they are speaking the wrong language.
“This school belongs to all of our children. We are not just opening an ordinary school, we are opening a school with child care facilities that can never be matched even by private schools,” said MEC Lesufi.
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Ward Councillor Susan Stewart also took to stage to share her take on the new construction of the school.
“I’d like to encourage our leaders to ensure that not only are beautiful school being built to house our learners but also for the education system to be upgraded too urgently.
“We need to ensure that our learners at public institutions such as Everest have the level of education that is offered at private institutions.
“I’m overwhelmed that this school has been considered. From an asbestos school to what we have today, it is a landmark in our community,” said Cllr Stewart.
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According to MEC Lesufi, the government had been opening a school every month and he promises that they will continue to open schools until 2019.
“Asbestoses schools will fail and proper schools will be built for our children,” said the MEC of Education. Lesufi also said that they will not tolerate any acts of vandalism towards their schools.
Social Development distributed uniform and school shoes for the learners. Dignity packs were also handed out by Rand Water Foundation and the Imbumba Foundation.
MEC Lesufi handed over the keys to the SGB of the school which GDE spent an estimated R97 Million.
