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Allanridge Secondary School learners suffer due to continuous rotational system

by Khume Ramulifho MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education

Date: 06 April 2022

Release: Immediate

Allanridge Secondary School learners in Rabie Ridge are still attending school on a rotational basis, losing much of their learning time despite the government ending the rotational learning system and proclaiming that all children must be allowed to go back to school full time.

These learners are being severely impacted as they have already fallen behind in the curriculum due to the rotational learning that was adopted because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The continuous rotational system at this school is as a result of a shortage of teachers, classrooms, chairs, and desks. This will make it hard for learners to finish the curriculum before the end of the year.

Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) conducted an oversight inspection at the school, following yesterday’s disruption of learning and teaching by the concerned and frustrated members of the School Governing Body (SGB). We were extremely disappointed with the state of the infrastructure.

The school has 2512 learners, which is 712 more learners than its capacity of 1800 learners. The Gauteng Department of Education had promised to provide the school with additional resources and teachers and has only provided the school with four teachers which is still inadequate.

The school is short of 12 teachers as it currently has 60 teachers. This is impacting negatively on the delivery of quality education to these learners. This is unacceptable as the department has underspent its budget allocation for hiring teachers.

There is also a severe shortage of classrooms. The school was given money by the department to build 10 additional classrooms which have been built and are now standing empty and gathering dust because they do not have an occupational certificate as well as furniture.

The occupational certificate could not be issued by the City of Joburg because there is no provision for fire plans, and the existing school structure does not have a proper building plan.

The school claims that the budget for building the new classrooms did not include the provision of fire plans and furniture. The school cannot afford the fire plans and furniture and is now dependent on the department to provide them.

The old existing structure is in dire need of proper regular maintenance. The passage that links classrooms is cracking and shaking. The department is aware and have conducted an assessment which revealed that there are infrastructure defects. This poses a safety risk for both learners and teachers.

It is high time that the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi prioritises fixing this school’ infrastructure to ensure that learning and teaching are conducted in a conducive environment.

The DA will engage with the City of Joburg MMC for Development and Planning, Cllr Belinda Echeozonjuku to ascertain the reasons why the school has not been granted an occupational certificate and what can be done to ensure that schools do not struggle to obtain occupational certificates. We will also seek her department’s help in building working relationships for the interest of our learners and communities.

We will also continue to put pressure on MEC Lesufi to provide this school with all the resources needed. His department should intervene and ensure that this school meets all the requirements necessary to obtain an occupational certificate for the 10 newly built classrooms.

Our children must not suffer due to the department’s incompetency in failing to provide resources to the schools.

Issued by Khume Ramulifho MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education