ERIC MATOME KGOMO
Middleburg: The new Doornkop Primary School is almost complete. The school, which is located at Doornkop Farm outside Middleburg in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (STLM), was established with intensified efforts to alleviate overcrowding of learners in schools within the province.
The project started early last year by the Department of Education in collaboration with the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport.
The school infrastructure comprised 24 Classrooms, an administration block, a computer centre, a library, two grade R centres and a kitchen.
According to the Education Department in the province, the school is planned to be operational in the second quarter of 2021 to relieve the high enrollment from Mkhulu Combined School and Bathlakaye Primary School.
The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule together with the MEC for Education, Bonakele Majuba, visited the school recently to monitor progress made and were both satisfied with the way the construction process is progressing.
Meanwhile the deputy minister and MEC proceeded to visit Mkhulu Combined School in in the same local municipality to welcome learners and to wish them well as they started the 2021 academic year.
“So far everything went according to expectations as such the department extends sincere appreciation to all school management teams, teachers and school governing bodies, for creating an enabling environment for teaching and learning to commence successfully from the first day of the return of more than one million learners,” said Education Department Spokesperson Jasper Zwane.
He indicated that the department further encourages learners to observe the health and safety regulations at all times, to listen and respect their teachers.
“All the basic hygiene essentials have been dispatched to all schools including the stationery and the department wishes that these are used for the intended purpose,” Zwane said.
He said the department will continue to monitor progress in this regard and to work side by side with the sector stakeholders to insure that the conditions for teaching and learning continue to improve.
A community member, Elijah Jabulani Jiyane, said they are happy with the development.
“We have only one primary school in the farms and the new established primary will help to deal with overcrowding of learners. Our hopes are high that another primary school will be constructed soon as the population is growing drastically,” he said.
