While Western Cape learners will get behind their school desk for the start of the 2023 academic year today, kids from Atlantis were expected to set foot in their newly-built school.

The Western Cape Education Department is looking forward to welcoming over 1.1 million learners into the classroom across the province today.

However, the feeling will be different for learners at Saxonsea Junior High in Atlantis, where their school was built in just 65 days.

Education MEC David Maynier explained that this was one of the WCED’s new Rapid School Build projects.

“Our Rapid School Build programme seeks to bring together various stakeholders with the aim of developing and building seven schools within six months to accommodate up to 3 200 learners. The WCED is managing these projects directly, in contrast to other builds,” he said.

UNVEILING: Mayor Hill-Lewis and MEC Maynier.

The management, speed and co-operation in the Rapid School Build Programme is different from typical projects and incorporates new building technologies, Maynier added.

“Our contractors have been very receptive to the programme, and have worked through the traditional builders’ holidays to help us deliver more places for learners,” he explained.

The school is a nine-classroom campus of Saxonsea High. It consists of new toilet facilities and a learning resource centre.

The building was constructed with a budget of R40 million.

Maynier said it has taken just over two months’ working days to construct, using a combination of brick-and-mortar and alternative steel-framed technology.

“Importantly, all stakeholders – the department, City of Cape Town, SGB, community and contractor – all worked together to clear out the red tape and address any challenges as they arose,” he added.

A similar model has also been constructed at Roosendal High in Delft.

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za