Physical environments for teaching and learning in the Eastern Cape have dramatically improved thanks largely to the Department of Education Eastern Cape in prioritising the creation of conducive teaching environments for learners.
The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) which is the implementing agent for several projects planned, managed and delivered on behalf of the department of Education announced today that it has delivered Sixty School Infrastructure Upliftment Programmes across the Eastern Cape.
“We currently sitting at 82% of the projects done. We have a total of 73 school infrastructure upliftment projects valued at R638 million that need to be completed by the end of year,” said Zine Mtanda, CDC programme director for education and sports, recreation arts and culture.
Sixty construction and refurbishment projects, including emergency schools, early childhood centres, technical workshops and the eradication of mud structures, have been completed in just one year, and have been handed over to The Department of Basic Education and the Eastern Cape Department of Education.
The school infrastructure upliftment programmes have been for communities in OR Tambo, Chris Hani and Amathole districts of the Eastern Cape.
The CDC estimates that in addition to new modern education facilities, around 1 575 jobs have been created for the communities where those schools reside.
The latest school infrastructure improvement project was the R16 million Manqulo Junior School in Butterworth. The project encompassed the development of nine new classrooms (60m² per classroom), an early child development (ECD) centre, soup kitchen and media centre (library and computer lab), rainwater tanks, ablution facilities (for male and female pupils) security and stock fencing, and full grade electricity.
“The remaining thirteen schools of the 73 projects will be completed and handed over in December this year,” adds Mtanda.
“Of these, six projects fall under infrastructure upgrade projects for the Eastern Cape Department of Education (EC-DoE) and the remaining form part of the National Department of Basic Education’s Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) programme.”
“Eradicating mud schools restores dignity to education and is transforming people’s lives for the better. Learners and educators have better access to improved environments for learning, teaching and growth,” added Mtanda.
“The programmes are the outcome of a desire of both government and the CDC to bring positive transformation in the education sector for the Eastern Cape through decent schooling facilities to children in the province,” said Dr Ayanda Vilakazi, CDC head of marketing and communications
“The programme aims to deliver adequate standard of schools to all children in the province and to ensure that the facilities are conducive for effective teaching and learning,” added Dr Vilakazi.
“Schools play a critical role as a catalyst for a better life and the gateway in equipping society to improve its livelihood, it’s for these reasons that the CDC involvement in the contribution of societies social fibre,” added Dr Vilakazi.
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