‘Deteriorating state of Phoenix Secondary School worrying’

The deteriorating condition of Phoenix Secondary School, north of Durban, is raising concerns over the impact on teaching and learning. This is according to local councillor Dr. Jonathan Annipe, who says years of neglect, a devastating fire, and delayed repairs have left large sections of the school unsafe and unusable.

Dr Annipe says an estimated R48 million is needed to restore the historic school.

He says the delays in repairing the school raise serious questions about accountability and the commitment to restoring the school to a safe learning environment.

“Phoenix Secondary School is one of those very prestigious schools that have a very strong history, and one of those educational institutions in our community that’s really highly regarded. So, the school has had to drop its intake. There is an entire part of the school that can no longer be used because the foundations are giving way, and the building needs to be underpinned. This means that children in that community cannot get a place at that school. It means educators at that school will be displaced, but it also means that the community suffers in terms of the services that the school provides. The department has done some renovations, but those renovations were incomplete because the department painted half the roof,” says Dr. Annipe.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education says it will respond in due course.

However, the provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure says it has yet to receive a mandate from the Department of Education to begin repairs at the school.

Department spokesperson Steve Bhengu says, “KZN Public Works and Infrastructure notes the concerns raised with regards to the deteriorating infrastructure at the school in question. However, KZN Public Works and Infrastructure is an implementing agent, which works on instruction as issued by the relevant department, in this case, the KZN Department of Basic Education. This means it is the client department, which has to carry out assessments at the school and then issue KZN Public Works and Infrastructure a formal mandate to carry out repair work at the school.”