Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, today opened a newly built block of classrooms, which will accommodate more than 350 learners at Bordeaux Primary School in Randburg.

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said this forms part of its plans to build classrooms that will alleviate pressure in identified areas.

“We wish to reiterate that, to deal with the pressure of placements in high pressure districts, the department is investing in building more classrooms.

“An amount of R240 million that has been transferred to schools will assist with the construction of classrooms. Accordingly, these funds will enable the construction of 229 classrooms in identified primary schools and 270 classrooms in identified high schools,” the department said in a statement.

The department also provided an update that all Grade 1 learners have been placed, and remains hopeful that the remaining 202 Grade 8 learners in Johannesburg Central will be placed by the end of January 2022.

Since the opening of the late registration on 12 January 2022, the department has placed 22 664 learners.

Lesufi said the newly built structure demonstrates that the model of a decentralised budget for schools in high pressure areas, with credible SGBs, which are capable of implementing such a project, is indeed working.

“We are excited that this project took about four months to complete and we hope all other upcoming projects will also not take long to complete,” Lesufi said.

Source: South African Government News Agency