Classroom overcrowding brought to book

The Gauteng Department of Education has opened a new school that will help ease learner influx pressure.

The newly-built state-of-the-art Seshegong Secondary School in Olievenhoutbosch, Centurion, will help alleviate classroom congestion.

The school will cater for 1 200 children from grades eight to 12. Because of its size, it is classified as a mega school designed to respond to the province’s demand trends.

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said the school is a modern information technology-based facility that incorporates the Department of Education’s National Schools Infrastructure Norms and Standards.

According to the department a success of the project has been the increased involvement of the community in the planning, implementation and ongoing management of the facility.

“The impact the project has had on the beneficiary community has been remarkable. Its success cannot be measured merely in direct benefits, such as the number of buildings erected, but rather the human benefit that the community has derived from being part of the process.”

A total of 2 110 people were employed during construction, including contractors, and at least 31 subcontractors were used.

The school’s smart classrooms are connected to a Wi-Fi network that allows students to make use of the internet. It is also fitted with an intercom system, CCTV cameras and an alarm system.

The facility complies with the latest Green Building practices and the water system uses solar water heating. To mitigate water usage, rainwater is harvested and used for irrigation and to flush toilets, which reduces the usage of council water.

To boost security at the school, a guard house has been built, security steel meshes have been installed and  a clear view fence divides the school area and sports field.

MEC Lesufi pleaded with the community to “protect this school for many generations”.

“We will continue to open such schools every month until 2019 in our quest to change the face of township schools,” he said.