Pretoria – The Gauteng Provincial Government will today open the third school in Braamfisherville since January this year.
The provincial government on Thursday said this will be the 46th new school to be opened since 2014. The official programme will be led by Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi and Infrastructure Development MEC Jacob Mamabolo.
The new school, Moses Kotane Primary, was built at a cost of R106 million and is named after South African struggle stalwart, Moses Kotane, to recognise his role in the struggle for liberation.
Moses Mauane Kotane was a South African Communist Party (SACP) and African National Congress (ANC) leader, born in 1905 in Rustenburg in the North West province.
The school will cater for 1 320 learners from Grade R to Grade 7.
The provincial government said children in the area will no longer travel long distances and this will reduce scholar transport demand currently offered by the Gauteng Department of Education.
MEC Lesufi said the provision of schools with modern facilities in townships will go a long way to improve and transform the quality of education.
“It will also change the township economy,” said MEC Lesufi.
The school is a modern information technology based facility, with a design that incorporates the Department of Basic Education’s National Schools Infrastructure Norms and Standards.
The school falls into the mega school category due to its size, which responds to the demand trends encountered across the province.
Among other facilities, the school boasts 28 Smart Classrooms with smart interactive boards; five Grade R classrooms; two smart science laboratories; two smart multi-purpose rooms; two smart home economics laboratories; one computer lab; information technology (IT) control room; a library; nutrition centre and dining hall; five courtyards; a guard house; covered walkways; changing rooms; combi courts (to accommodate netball, basketball and tennis courts); learner drop-off zone, a 240m3 rainwater harvesting tank; ablution facilities, and plant room.
MEC Mamabolo said the school design follows a new template for secondary schools, which among others, includes smart classrooms with WiFi, smart science labs, sports facilities, intercom systems and green facilities.
The provincial government said the community has been directly involved in the planning, implementation and ongoing management of the facilities.
The project has employed about 1 561 people, who were also provided skills training. In addition, about 33 subcontractors were appointed. - SAnews.gov.za
