PLAN FOR OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS

PLAN FOR OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS - MEC METCALFE

Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government

GAUTENG GOVERNMENT Communications Directorate - Office of the Premier

MEC for Education Mary Metcalfe presented to Cabinet a detailed report on levels of overcrowding in Gauteng schools, characterising the situation as critical in eight of the 18 districts.

The report shows that no fewer than 58 600 pupils are without classrooms. The average school occupancy level in the eight criti- cally crowded districts ranges from 174% in Pretoria East/Mamelodi to 115% in Kempton Park/Tembisa, with some individual schools registering levels of overcrowding way above these averages.

The situation of severe overcrowding has been caused largely by shifts in population, within the province and across its borders.

In the light of this report, the Gauteng Cabinet resolved:

To include in its funding priorities a commitment to a multi- year school building programme. This programme would aim to provide 75 schools over the next three years at an estimated cost of R300- million.
To "factor in" to all new housing developments - including formal, informal and rapid land release programmes - the cost of providing school buildings additional to the three-year building programme outlined above.
To pursue research into viable, low-cost building methods to achieve maximum accommodation for pupils within budget constraints.

Cabinet also took note of the initiatives of the national and provincial education ministries to obtain input from communities and stakeholders in education before amending the powers and functions of governing bodies of public schools.

Released by the Gauteng Communications Directorate May 15 1996

Queries to Jo-Anne Collinge Tel. 240 1712