With the scent of fresh paint lingering in the air, Heathfield Primary School learners moved back into their school building after a 12-month rebuild project that saw the renovation of classrooms, an admin block and brand-new toilets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
School principal Branmal Swartz says the project, which reportedly cost the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) R44 million, was necessary to remove asbestos, originally used to build the school 53 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo fast track the rebuilding of schools that [are] built from inappropriate material, the department is doing the refurbishing of schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, in January last year, we moved from our current building to the container classrooms and have been there for a year.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prior to the rebuild, cracks started showing in the floors and pathways at the school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat we found is that the floors and landing started cracking in certain classrooms. We had to lift tiles and children moved their chairs, chairs broke and kids got hurt,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYears ago, one of our support staff broke her ankle outside because the pathway was falling in with holes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Swartz shares that it became hazardous after asbestos, which is dangerous, was exposed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere were smart windows removed from the school and some people asked whether they could keep it, but because it was contaminated with asbestos they were told no,\u201d he tells People\u2019s Post.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is what our kids had to sit in for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe had to fight for the school to be refurbished and I escalated the issue during the last five years that I\u2019ve been here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The rebuilding project included the roof and downpipes at the school, he adds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe underground sewerage systems started going and at some stage, we had massive spills, to the extent that money was spent to replace that again.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reflecting on the history of the school, Swartz says it was established as a direct result of the apartheid government\u2019s Group Areas Act when, at the time, learners and teachers were evicted from Diep River Central Primary in Steurhof. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHeathfield Primary is around 53 years old and was started in 1971,\u201d he recalls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith the Group Areas Act in the late 60s and 70s, the learners were evicted and the school shut down because it was declared a whites only area.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1971, the school was opened at its current location and named Punts Plaas Prim\u00ear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis was a farm area and belonged to the Punts family and apparently, there are still remnants of the family in the area today.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because Swartz grew up in the area, he wanted to return to the school. At the age of four, his family was forcibly moved to Lavender Hill. \u201cAs a family, we lived in Steurhof and when the school was closed, we were also evicted and moved to Lavender Hill, so my family was one of the first families when Lavender Hill was just a sandy patch to move to.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Later in 1994, \u201cpeople had choices\u201d, so residents sent their children to schools \u201cacross the railway line\u201d to former Model C schools. \u201cAt some stage, with that happening and the local community not sending their kids to the school anymore and to prevent the school from shutting down, the school opened its doors to learners from afar.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, learners from Gugulethu, Langa, Philippi, Mitchells Plain, Hillview, Seawinds, Steenberg, Retreat, Muizenberg and Plumstead attend the school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGenerally, our school is quite diverse with altogether 616 learners from Grade R to Grade 7,\u201d says Swartz. \u201cWe also have a large population of foreign nationals such as Zimbabweans and Congolese, Malawians and Angolan kids.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the scent of fresh paint lingering in the air, Heathfield Primary School learners moved back into their school building after a 12-month rebuild project that saw the renovation of classrooms, an admin block and brand-new 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