SoNA 2018
Government has built a new, state-of-the-art school for Westbury learners.
Learners from Everest Primary School, west of Johannesburg, couldn’t wait for the first day of school this year, thanks to government’s project to demolish asbestos schools and replace them with bricks and mortar. 
The school is one of 42 that the Gauteng Government has already rebuilt and opened.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Infrastructure Development MEC Jacob Mamabolo officially opened Everest Primary School on the first day of school this year.
“We are in the process of eliminating what we called ‘asbestos schools’ in the province. There are 21 of them. Everest Primary School is a major one that we had to demolish and rebuild with bricks and mortar and we are excited,” said MEC Lesufi.
“We are not opening an ordinary school. We are opening a school that has childcare facilities, that cannot be matched by private schools; laboratories and a properly constituted dining hall, with chairs and tables, so learners can sit and eat,” he added.
Government aims to build one school every month until 2019.
Worth R97 million, Everest Primary School also has smart boards and can now accommodate 1120 learners, from Grades R to 7. Last year it catered for 950 learners.
The school recently celebrated its 40th birthday.
The department said that the idea behind upgrading schools, mainly located in townships, is to make them attractive so that more learners will want to attend them instead of having to travel to far-flung areas which is costly.
The school was built in two phases. Phase one consisted of the library, multi-purpose centre, laboratory and nutrition hall; while phase two saw the building of the classrooms, including the separate Grade R classes, and the admin block.
Did you know?
Government aims to build one school every month until 2019.
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