The Northern Cape provincial government is failing learners and staff at the John Rossouw Primary School in Victoria West, leaving them exposed to asbestos fibers and unsafe infrastructure.
I conducted an oversight inspection to the school last week after the school was sent a reminder that it was operating illegally, under a prohibition notice from the Pixley Ka Seme district municipality.
The school first received a compliance notice in April 2021, followed by a prohibition notice from the Pixley ka Seme district municipality in December 2021. Two years later, government has failed to rectify the findings of the Environmental Health Practitioner and the school remains in the same dilapidated condition, which has likely deteriorated over the years.
The double-story building has deep cracks underneath the balcony of the first floor and learners are exposed to deteriorating asbestos roof sheets. The Grade R classroom also has openings where the ceiling joins the wall, allowing dust and bird nests to enter the building.
There is insufficient ventilation in some of the classes, directly affecting the creation of a conducive learning environment. Apart from these structural defects, learners are also unable to make use of working toilets, exposing them to unsanitary conditions.
The school was advised to engage with the provincial Department of Education to secure a commitment to rectify the damning findings in the inspection report.
It is a shame that both the Departments of Education and Roads and Public Works would compromise the safety of learners by turning a blind eye to the condition of the school, risking the safety of the learners.
The DA member of the Roads and Public Works legislature portfolio committee, Grantham Steenkamp, has sent an urgent letter to the department to request an immediate intervention.
The DA will also bring the deplorable conditions of the John Rossouw Primary School to the attention of the respective portfolio committees during this week’s legislature sessions, and request that both stakeholder departments are called upon to account on why it is taking them so long to fix the school structure.
The safety of learners is everybody’s business and we will not allow provincial government to leave schools to fend for themselves when the safety of learners is at stake.