The state has invited private companies to bid for a contract to assess the proximity of thousands of Eastern Cape schools to services that could be accessed from nearby municipalities and other state departments.
The tender, estimated to run into millions, comes after the awarding of a R19-million contract last year to a private company to collect data on the state of infrastructure at 2500 Eastern Cape schools.
The national Department of Basic Education (DBE) has appointed a service provider for a similar audit of 3000 schools in the province.
The Dispatch understands that the new contractor is to assess 5700 schools in the province for their proximity to municipal services, police stations, Eskom facilities and health facilities.
Department spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said a notice placed by the department in the Dispatch last week, stated specifically that the assessment would be carried out in six district municipalities.
He said the move was to ensure that schools complied with norms and standards of school infrastructure.
“This is to check how close schools are to the services. Some schools have long drop toilets and this assessment will determine how this can be resolved and look into services from nearby municipalities.”
Mtima said land identified for new hostels the department planned to build after small schools that had become non-viable were shut, would also be included in assessments.
The department has announced that 2000 schools with a small number of pupils are to be closed.
These schools, official labelled as “unviable” are scattered across the province. In a notice placed in the newspaper last week, the education department revealed that it was looking for bids for the assessment of land in towns in Alfred Nzo, Amathole, Cacadu, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi and OR Tambo municipalities.
The closing date for submission is February 17. Briefing sessions were scheduled to be held at 10am at the department’s Education Leadership Institute in Stirling on Wednesday.
Equal Education provincial chairman Lumkile Zani said they had received no communication relating to the tender. “This is supposed to have done as soon as the norms were adopted,” he added.
Companies eye tender millions for school audit
The tender, estimated to run into millions, comes after the awarding of a R19-million contract last year to a private company to collect data on the state of infrastructure at 2500 Eastern Cape schools.
The national Department of Basic Education (DBE) has appointed a service provider for a similar audit of 3000 schools in the province.
The Dispatch understands that the new contractor is to assess 5700 schools in the province for their proximity to municipal services, police stations, Eskom facilities and health facilities.
Department spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said a notice placed by the department in the Dispatch last week, stated specifically that the assessment would be carried out in six district municipalities.
He said the move was to ensure that schools complied with norms and standards of school infrastructure.
“This is to check how close schools are to the services. Some schools have long drop toilets and this assessment will determine how this can be resolved and look into services from nearby municipalities.”
Mtima said land identified for new hostels the department planned to build after small schools that had become non-viable were shut, would also be included in assessments.
The department has announced that 2000 schools with a small number of pupils are to be closed.
These schools, official labelled as “unviable” are scattered across the province. In a notice placed in the newspaper last week, the education department revealed that it was looking for bids for the assessment of land in towns in Alfred Nzo, Amathole, Cacadu, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi and OR Tambo municipalities.
The closing date for submission is February 17. Briefing sessions were scheduled to be held at 10am at the department’s Education Leadership Institute in Stirling on Wednesday.
Equal Education provincial chairman Lumkile Zani said they had received no communication relating to the tender. “This is supposed to have done as soon as the norms were adopted,” he added.
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