The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is seeking expressions of interest from building contractors for the construction of 79 new schools and the refurbishment of 12 Phase 1 schools and 285 existing schools in the province.

The GDE admitted to having its “fair share” of the national schools facilities backlog and despite attempts to address this problem, the current financial allocations and the lack of provincial delivery capabilities were hindering progress.

“It is with this in mind that the GDE has partnered with the Gauteng Fund Agency and the Development Bank of Southern Africa to launch the Gauteng Schools Programme (GSP)," the GDE said in an information pack.

To this end, business plans for these schools have been produced that include concept designs, site layouts, condition surveys and elemental cost estimates.

The information available paves the way for the seamless implementation of the GSP that would enhance educational infrastructure.

The next step is the procurement and appointment of consultants and contractors. The proposed bidding process will involve a two-step process of which this expression of interest is the first step. It is proposed to use a combination of a standard design and build and develop turnkey new schools, together with refurbishment of the existing schools on a remeasurable basis.

The key challenges that the GDE seeks to address through the GSP include overcrowding, addressing unsafe structures, the lack of, or inadequate facilities and reducing scholar transport needs to and from school.

Serious backlogs in terms of space for school administration, as well as in safe hygienic sanitation, were also receiving attention.

The GDE still experiences gaps in terms of insufficient infrastructure and space backlogs, especially where schools are enrolled beyond design capacity;  disadvantaged schools lacking established libraries on the premises; inadequate sporting facilities; poor fencing; inadequate cleaning and minor maintenance around the schools; the lack of laboratories; and uncompleted schools that were acquired from other provinces arising from demarcation processes.

The GSP entails the provision of 79 new schools, 12 Phase 1 schools, 11 mobile schools on 68 greenfield sites on which these schools would be constructed.

Phase 1 schools include those schools that are partially built and need additional educational infrastructure to complete the school. The mobile schools are the schools where all educational activities are accommodated in prefabricated structures that must be replaced with permanent structures.

A number of the sites are larger than 5 ha, which, according to regulations, necessitate the compilation, submission and approval of an environmental-impact assessment before any development can start on the site.

Further, flood lines may affect 35 of the sites and this would require further investigation, while another 14 sites are in close proximity to proclaimed wetlands, which require further investigation before any developments can be planned.

The GDE also said five of the proposed greenfield sites are located in close proximity to a ridge and require further investigations, while another 25 proposed sites require the member of the executive committee for education’s approval to start with development, because the site does not conform to the specified norms and standards.