Relief is in sight for the vastly overcrowded Uitenhage High School, with plans in the pipeline to construct three additional classrooms this year.
This is according to principal Mark Williams who said the institution – which was originally established to accommodate 850 pupils – has 1,380 pupils enrolled there.
He said in the absence of any funding assistance from the department of education, the extension of the school would be funded through fundraising by the pupils, along with funding from school fees.
Williams said while a budget had not yet been established for the project, construction would begin and be completed during the June-July holidays.
“We have a dire need for additional classrooms.
“We have eight mobile classrooms which assist in accommodating our learners.
“They were installed more than 20 years ago, and they were intended to last for five years – but they are still here.
“The classrooms are in a hazardous and unhealthy condition.
“Teaching in this kind of weather is also very difficult because there is no air-conditioning,” Williams, who was speaking amid a 47°C heatwave recorded in Uitenhage on Monday, said.
He said Eastern Cape education MEC Mlungisi Mvoko had visited the school a week ago and the school’s management had raised the matter with the MEC.
“We also asked that while we wait for the construction of the classrooms, that the mobile classrooms from a neighbouring school [where renovations have been completed] be moved to our school as soon as possible – and they indicated that they would consider my request,” Williams said.
He said the department would not be funding the school’s extensions.
“The construction will be mostly funded by school fees, fundraisers and donations, so we will be tapping into our parents – we have school funds that will be allocated for that purpose.”
William said a challenge facing the project was locating the institution’s building plans, which he said was delaying the compilation of a budget for the project.
“We have to show the new additions to the plan, or else we will have to redraw the whole school if we can’t find the building plan,” he said.
He said the department of public works – which is the custodian of the plans – could not find them.
But a determined Williams said that despite this challenge, he was confident that construction would get under way in June.
“We are intending to build three classrooms [which will be on the upper section of the right wing of the school].
“The building on that section is constructed as though the people who built it left room for extensions,” he said.
The new classrooms will be erected on top of existing three classrooms where there is a cement roof slab.
“We are [spatially challenged] so we have to work our way up, and build on top of the existing structure. This will also cut costs for us,” Williams said.
Another project Williams is spearheading is a plan to erect a multi-purpose school hall valued at R12m.
He said the project was under the administration of the school’s alumni.
“This huge project is pioneered by the Uitenhage High Past Pupil and Teachers’ Association and the vision is to build a hall for the school.
“We do not have a hall for assemblies, school functions and exams.
“During exams we have to make use of municipal facilities for the matrics, or [have them] write in the classrooms which takes up too much space, which we don’t have,” he said.
The alumni have raised R125,000 since 2012.
“Raising funds for this project has proven difficult but as a member of [the association] and school principal, we hope to appoint a fulltime administrator who will oversee the fundraising and drive for sponsorships,” Williams said.