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PHUTI MOSOMANE
BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Sunday that government has taken action to accelerate the provision of school infrastructure across all nine provinces.
She said out of 3 398 schools, 2 478 have already been equipped with better infrastructure to create safe havens for school children.
Motshekga was briefing the media on the progress made on infrastructure roll out in the basic education sector on Sunday.
“To be precise, therefore, the department identified 3398 schools that were lacking in infrastructure in one form or another- that is either not age appropriate or simply inadequate. We have delivered 2478 projects to schools across the country,” Motshekga said, adding that Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns impacted on implementation.
Through private sector funders, 184 were allocated, and so far, 117 infrastructure projects were completed.
“317 electrification projects, 1 259 water projects and 1 053 planned sanitation projects were completed,” she sad.
She said government is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of four-year-old Langalam Viki whose body was found in a pit latrine at Mcwangele Primary School in Vaalbank in the Eastern Cape.
Motshekga revealed that the school where Langalam passed away has been provided with new South African National Standards approved infrastructure.
“Langalam was found in the tank of a senior toilet, not the age appropriate toilet where he would have normally gone. He was also found fully dressed,” she said.
She urged police to investigate the case with greater care given that “Langalam was to young to lift the manhole that covers the tank”.
Last week, SECTION 27 and the Centre for Child Law launched the Michael Komape Sanitation Progress Monitor online tool which will track progress by the Limpopo Department of Education (LDoE) in eliminating unsafe and inappropriate sanitation in the province’s public schools.
The online tool will be used hold the department and provincial government accountable.
INSIDE EDUCATION