DA calls on MEC Lesufi to build new schools in Johannesburg South

17 February 2020

Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) conducted an oversight inspection at the Hills High School in Johannesburg South and we were disappointed to discover that two different schools are being housed in one facility.

The Hills High School is temporarily housing learners from the “New South High School”.

This “New South High School” consists of unplaced learners from different schools which include: 75 learners in Grades 9 and 10 , and 100 Grade 8 learners.

The Grade 10 learners are making use of two mobile classrooms erected on the Hills High School sports field while the Grade 9 learners are using the pavilion as a classroom.

The Grade 8 learners are currently housed at the Sir John Adamson High School and they are being taught as one group in the school hall.

This means that the “New South High School” is just a name but the physical facility doesn’t exist.

The learners who are part of this new school are from the Johannesburg Central District and they are being transported everyday by the District to their temporary schools which is time consuming.

The teachers who are teaching these learners are also frustrated as they have to rotate from one school to another.

This current situation in which these learners find themselves is not conducive for learning and teaching. These learners are being denied the opportunity of being taught in a proper school environment.

It’s high time that the department engages with the department of Infrastructure Development to release the available vacant land to build more schools in Johannesburg South.

The DA calls on MEC Lesufi to prioritize building more new schools in this area to match the demand of new developments in Johannesburg South. This will also minimize current pressure faced by schools in the area.

Issued by Khume Ramulifho,DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, 17 February 2020