The DA in Limpopo is demanding that Education MEC, Mavhungu Lerule – Ramakhanya and the Limpopo Department of Education accelerate addressing the classroom and sanitation shortages in the province.
This follows MEC Lerule -Ramakhanya’s response to a DA written question, indicating that 744 schools are in need of additional classrooms and 934 schools are in need of additional sanitation. While there are some school upgrading projects and water and sanitation projects planned by the department, they are nowhere near enough to address the infrastructure challenges at schools.
The response also revealed that the department seemingly does not currently have a plan and timeline to deal with all the infrastructure challenges faced by schools. It was further indicated that in order to determine a credible plan and timeline the department needs up to date information and this will be informed after conditional assessments of the school infrastructure are conducted.
There is no indication when the conditional assessments will be conducted and completed, and this implies a long wait until infrastructure challenges can be meaningfully addressed. This delay is likely to be exacerbated by a lack of sufficient resources to tackle the province’s school infrastructure issues.
We call on Lerule- Ramakhanya and the department to institute a rapid school building programme like in the DA-led Western Cape, to quickly construct new schools and expand existing ones in mere months in order to ensure quality school infrastructure and address overcrowding in our hot spot circuits.
The DA is committed to ensuring that failing infrastructure and infrastructure shortages are addressed and that Limpopo learners are educated in a safe, dignified and conducive environment.