Cape Town - The locations of the 26 schools to be built over three years in the Western Cape have been announced.
They will be spread across the province from Vredenburg on the West Coast to Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route.
In response to a question in the Provincial Legislature this week, Education MEC Donald Grant released details of where the schools would be built.
The Cape Times reported last week that demand for schooling was greatest in the northern and southern suburbs of the city.
There was also an increased demand on the West Coast, Eden and the Overberg.
Grant had announced the new infrastructure plan a month ago. He said that 26 new schools - 11 secondary, 13 primary and two special education – had been planned for construction over the next three years.
Grant said at the time that the demand for new schools was increased by the growth of the school population in the province, due to both natural growth and inward migration.
He said there was an increase of more than 11 000 pupils enrolling at public schools in the province this year compared to the enrolment for 2011.
At the time Grant was unable to release details of where these schools would be built.
He said this week that the schools were planned for the following areas:
- Concordia Secondary, Knysna
- Eersterivier Secondary, Eersterivier
- Grabouw Secondary, Pineview, Grabouw
- Hout Bay High, Hout Bay
- Silversands Secondary, Bardale Village, Kuilsriver
- Thembalethu Secondary No.2, Thembalethu, George
- Vredenburg Secondary, Louwville, Vredenburg
- Vuyiseka Secondary, Lower Crossroads
- Zwelethemba Secondary, Zwelethemba, Worcester
- Tafelsig Secondary, Mitchells Plain
- Brackenfell Secondary, Brackenfell
- Concordia Primary, Knysna
- Eersterivier Primary, Eersterivier
- Gouritzmond Primary, Mossel Bay
- Happy Valley Primary, Bardale Village, Kuilsriver
- Jagtershof Primary, Kuilsriver
- Kranshoek Primary, Kranshoek, Plettenberg Bay
- Kwanokuthula Primary, Kwanokuthula, Plettenberg Bay
- Masakhane Primary, Masakhane, Gansbaai
- Swellendam Primary, Swellendam, Overberg
- Wellington Primary, Mbekweni, Paarl
- Khanya Primary, Samora Machel, Philippi
- Tulbach Primary, Tulbach, Cape Winelands
- Uitsig Primary, Durbanville
- Cherie Botha (LSEN), Bellville
- Rustof (LSEN), Strand
The Cape Times also reported last week that thousands of families had moved into the northern suburb of Durbanville, but schooling in the area had not kept pace.
Ian Flint, chairman of the Kenridge/The Hills Ratepayers Association, said there were at least 15 000 more children in the suburb than 15 years ago.
One new school, Uitsig Primary School, is being planned for the Durbanville area.
But Flint said that would probably be more convenient for pupils living in Kraaifontein. “We’re very happy for that community but it doesn’t ease the pressure on our local school.”
Cape Times