David Livingstone’s lengthy revamp must not be repeated

And so, after nearly a decade of delays and many protests, the community surrounding Gqeberha’s David Livingstone Senior Secondary School finally has something to celebrate — the completion of much-needed renovations at the school. Staff and pupils of the Schauderville school in the city’s northern areas are finally ready to move into their new premises, after being crammed into classrooms for more than eight years. TheR170m revampincludes 28 new classrooms, three computer labs, a home economics class, a new library and new ablution blocks, among other upgrades.

But it has been a long journey, fraught with frustration, resulting in protests by fuming parents and the school governing body (SGB). A little over a year agoThe Herald reportedhow pupils took to the streets of Schauderville to draw attention to their ongoing concerns about the state of the premises. SGB chair Andre de Monk said at the time the toilets were not functioning and there were holes in the floor — both of which posed health and safety hazards.

But the mood has improved over the last few months as completion of the renovations loomed. Acting principal Ashley Stuurman said this week the morale at the school was at an all-time high. That the project is finally complete is cause for celebration.

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But beyond the celebration, there must be a concerted effort by all — community members and school and education officials — to maintain the new facilities. To this end, alumnus Branton Jonas said they had started a process of mobilising old Livvies to support fundraising initiatives and to mobilise developmental interventions. “The infrastructure must be protected to preserve quality education towards the next 100 years,” he said.

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