Pupils picket CDC for new classrooms

MORE than 50 pupils from Hector Petersen High School in Zwelitsha and Vukile Tshwete Senior Secondary in Keiskammahoek gathered in Pearce Street yesterday for a picket, demanding properly built classrooms, among other things.

The pupils, and Equal Education officials, who held placards and sang struggle songs in front of Coega Development Corporation (CDC) offices in Berea, handed over a memorandum to management.

This comes as seven schools in the East London area have not received toilets, fences or properly built classroom structures yet.

Equal Education claims that Coega needs to be held accountable as implementing agents and oversight of contractors, who they say have contributed to failing the public schools in the Eastern Cape.

Implementing agents such as CDC manage and plan the building of schools on behalf of the national Department of Basic Education as well as the provincial department.

Equal Education deputy head of office Amanda Rinquest said that CDC was given R262-million for 71 different projects, seven of which affect schools they were aware of in the city and surrounds.

“They have this money but they are rolling projects out at a snail’s pace, but the children are sitting in classrooms that are not safe or conducive for learning,” she said.

“These schools are supposed to receive classrooms, toilets and fences, but most of them have not had anything built yet.

“We know it has affected about seven schools, but from what we have gathered, the problem is much wider.”

CDC spokesman Ayanda Vilakazi said project updates were regularly available with the department and “it is thus advisable for Equal Education to source the information directly from the department”.—