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The Citizen
7 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Illegal mining leaving Gauteng schools on shaky ground
11 schools in the Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark regions are currently under rehabilitation Illegal mining and dolomitic ground conditions are putting several Gauteng schools at risk, with authorities forced to relocate or rehabilitate facilities in areas such as Gauteng West, Ekurhuleni South and Centurion. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) on Tuesday confirmed that 13 schools in affected zones have been placed on rehabilitation programmes due to safety concerns, including structural instability and environmental damage. These include Boiteko Primary School (Carletonville), Laerskool Fleur and Laerskool Louis Leipoldt (Centurion), among others. Pollution corroding school buildings In addition, schools near industrial areas, especially in Germiston, Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, have reported deterioration in building materials caused by prolonged exposure to air pollution. 'The signs of pollution over a long period of time are seen through the dilapidation of concrete and masonry elements in the buildings. There is excessive carbonation of concrete and corrosion of reinforcement,' said the department. 11 schools in the Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark regions are currently under rehabilitation. These include Laerskool Oospark, Setjhaba-Sohle Secondary School and Oliver Lodge Primary School. ALSO READ: Tragedy at Stellenbosch: Student dies suddenly of meningitis Mining taught in class According to the department, pupils are being educated about mining and environmental safety as part of the formal curriculum. 'In the Intermediate Phase, Grade 5 Social Sciences includes dedicated content on mining and its environmental and social impacts. 'In the Senior Phase, these issues are explored through Life Orientation, Natural Sciences, and Geography, aligned with the national Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (Caps).' First aid training part of school safety strategy In line with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the GDE is rolling out basic first aid training at public schools. This forms part of the department's broader safety efforts through its Multi-Certification Skills Programme (MCSP). 'Over the past three financial years, 212 schools facilitated accredited first aid training, reaching 1 017 learners,' the department confirmed. The training includes CPR, bleeding control, burn treatment, fracture stabilisation and seizure management. 'This training is also delivered under the department's flagship Multi-Certification Skills Programme (MCSP)… equipping them with up to 13 certification credits by the end of Grade 12.' ALSO READ: Gwarube calls for bold education law reforms to address inequality Safety training for school staff In addition to pupils, school staff are also receiving accredited first aid training. 'To date, 315 staff members have been trained as first aiders across the province in the past three financial years, with 116 schools currently confirmed to have at least one trained first aider on site,' GDE said. The department said schools are provided with refills for first aid kits and firefighting training as part of a broader strategy to maintain compliance. 'We train three to four staff members per school to ensure continuity when personnel leave due to promotion, retirement, or other reasons.' Department remains accountable and transparent The department has reiterated its commitment to accountability in addressing safety and infrastructure issues in schools. 'The Gauteng Department of Education remains committed to transparency and regular public accountability in addressing matters that affect the education sector,' said MEC Matome Chiloane. 'We take seriously any issues raised within our sector, whether related to safety, governance, or the well-being of pupils and staff. In doing so, we continue to engage constructively in finding sustainable solutions.' ALSO READ: Vosloorus school assault sparks protest and suspensions Student politics banned in schools The GDE reiterated that political student organisations such as COSAS and PASO are not permitted in schools. 'The Department's goal is to ensure that schools remain non-partisan and focused on learning.' 'Only the Representative Council of Pupils (RCL) is recognised as the official pupil governance structure. While freedom of association is respected, any external group must operate with proper authorisation and without disrupting teaching,' it added. The GDE also confirmed it has recorded only one corruption-related case in the past five years. It involved the deep cleaning of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'The matter was investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), with R3.8 million spent on legal and investigative fees. 'Disciplinary action was taken against implicated officials, and a criminal case was referred to the Saps,' the department concluded. NOW READ: GDE settles 99.95% of municipal debt as R2.8bn infrastructure plan tackles school overcrowding
IOL News
20-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Transforming education: Gauteng's R3. 9 billion budget and new online registration system
Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, Matome Chiloane, has unveiled an ambitious online registration process for schools as part of the province's R3.9 billion education budget allocation. Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers Gauteng's MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, Matome Chiloane, has launched an innovative online school registration system. This initiative is a component of the province's R3.9 billion education budget. During a media briefing held on Sunday, following the budget vote, Chiloane emphasised that every learner in Gauteng possesses a fundamental right to quality education, irrespective of their geographical location. Chiloane clarified that automatic placement for Grade 1 will not be granted to learners currently enrolled in Grade R at schools. These learners are still required to apply, either at their current school or any other institution. He also stated that foreign nationals seeking school placements for their children must possess legal residency in the country and be able to furnish all necessary compliance documentation. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading "This Budget Vote not only signifies our commitment to investment in education but also serves as a validation of our approach in viewing investments in township schools as strategic moves to enhance human capital," Chiloane stated emphatically. "By empowering our scholars, we are not merely performing acts of charity; we are facilitating opportunities that yield extraordinary returns for our province and nation." "The R3.9 billion budget allocation marks the largest funding commitment to transform how education is delivered across Gauteng fundamentally. We are not maintaining the status quo; we are reimagining what education can be," the MEC asserted. This philosophy extends to the launch of the Multi-Certification Skills Programme (MCSP), which is set to transcend traditional academic boundaries and cater to the evolving demands of the job market," he said. Chilonae also indicated that his department is poised to change the provincial educational landscape through the budget allocation, adding that the allocation validates the province's approach of investing in township schools not as acts of charity but as strategic investments in human capital that yield extraordinary returns for our province and nation. "Changing the Educational Landscape -- R3.9 billion. The largest allocation represents our commitment to fundamentally transforming education delivery in Gauteng. We are not maintaining the status quo; we are reimagining what education can be. "Our Multi-Certification Skills Programme (MCSP) transcends traditional academic boundaries, empowering every learner in Gauteng with comprehensive skills for an evolving world. From coding and robotics in Foundation Phase to Microsoft Digital, AI, and firefighting in FET Phase, our learners accumulate practical, accredited skills progressively, ensuring that they graduate not just with a matric certificate, but with multiple certifications that make them immediately employable or entrepreneurially ready," he said. However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has demanded that the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) break the cycle of chaos by opening the learner online application system for the 2026 academic year urgently. DA MP Sergio D Santo said this will give parents more time to apply and allow the department to review submissions, open the late application period earlier, and prevent a situation where learners are left without school admission and miss days and months of schooling. "It's concerning that, with less than a week to go before the online admissions open, the Gauteng Education Department has still not provided basic details like the list of walk-in centres or their operating hours. On top of this, the system still doesn't allow proper school ranking—parents are forced to apply to five schools just to avoid their child being unplaced, even if some of those schools are not their real choice. There should be a ranking system in place. We are also seeing Grade R learners not being guaranteed placement at their current schools, which is something MEC Chiloane himself criticised as Chairperson of the portfolio committee before becoming MEC," he said.
