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Parents and pupils excited as spruced up Noordgesig Primary School opens

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Gauteng Premier David Makhura alongside MECs Tasneem Motara and Panyaza Lesufi at the opening of the Noordgesig Primary School. Pictures by Sthembiso Lebuso
Gauteng Premier David Makhura alongside MECs Tasneem Motara and Panyaza Lesufi at the opening of the Noordgesig Primary School. Pictures by Sthembiso Lebuso

Gauteng got the academic year off with a bang.

Premier David Makhura alongside MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi and MEC for infrastructure development and property management, Tasneem Motara, unveiled the newly renovated Noordgesig Primary School in Diepkloof, Soweto on Wednesday morning.

The community, mostly parents, were excited about the new school year.

The little ones, on the other hand, were not in such a jovial mood. Many pupils were clearly upset, and some needed to be nudged to enter the newly paved school yard.

The school boasts 42 classrooms, a science and computer lab, a nutrition centre and a hall for pupils from Grades R to 7.

Motara said the school was one of her department’s special projects. “We delivered it in record time, we almost stayed within the budget. We invested R110 million into this community,” Motara said.

She added that close to R40 million was paid to 59 local sub-contractors.

“We gave the opportunity to 150 labourers and 30 Expanded Public Works Programme pupils who will be credited with work skills,” she said.

“When we work together we see the value in the investment, the value of the investment realised, and ultimately the community benefits,” Motara added.

Lesufi said with the opening of the school the province was showing that it turning things around.

“We are not only turning things around in terms of infrastructure but with what is happening inside the classrooms. We are sending a strong message that what used to be denied to us, we are turning it around,” he said.

“Those that thought we do not deserve brick and mortar [structures], we deserve asbestos, they must know we have changed things around. Those that thought we don’t deserve quality buildings are turning in their graves because beautiful buildings are coming to where our people are,” Lesufi said.

He added that the building of such schools meant that there will be no need for parents to look for transport for their kids to schools far from home.

“Those taxis, kombis and buses are making a huge U-turn back to our communities,” he said.

Lesufi said they are working to ensure that the education system in Gauteng can prepare the pupils to compete with others anywhere in the world.

“This is why we have thousands of parents preferring to have their children get an education in Gauteng. It is not a disaster, it is a vote of confidence,” he said.

On school placements, Lesufi reassured parents that no child will be left with no school to attend.

“Every learner will be placed within the next 10 days,” he promised.

Schools torched: We will not build new schools

The mood was dampened by news that Khutlo-Tharo Secondary School in the Emfuleni Local Municipality in Sebokeng had been burnt down in the early hours of Wednesday.

This is the third school to be torched in the area in two months.

READ: Pupils torch schools

“It saddens us that as we open this school, someone decided to burn [down] another school. We can’t build schools for criminals to destroy,” Lesufi said.

Makhura echoed his sentiment, saying that people should stop taking out their frustrations on schools, libraries and clinics.

“If you destroy this school, I will not be back to build a new school,” Makhura said.

The premier added that he was happy with Lesufi’s work, but wanted him to put more effort into the foundation phase of the education system.

“We need to pay attention to the foundation phases of our system. If we can sort out these children at the foundation phase they will not struggle that much in high school,” Makhura said.

He said he wanted to build the early childhood development centre of the future.

“We want to teach our children coding when they are still [young] playing,” Makhura said.

Excited parents

Parents were excited to have their children attend the renovated school.

Yvette Meseir, whose daughter is starting Grade 2, said she was excited about the new facilities.

“I used to attend this school. The facilities were bad way back then. I am excited that my daughter won’t have to deal with any of the problems I had to deal with,” Meseir said.

“She was excited to get into the new classroom. She told me that she wants to become a doctor or a teacher. With her starting off in a school like this, I think she will be able to achieve what she wants.”


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