South Africa is planning to convert all mud classrooms to brick classrooms in all schools, in a bid that will see all schools having permanent buildings by 2023.
Currently in South Africa, the education sector is in the process of replacing the mud schools with permanent buildings and the process, and so far, there are about 510 mud-schools across the country although the number could change when the department’s data is updated.
Conrad Barberton, an economist, says the speed at which the department is working on replacing mud classrooms (mud schools) is not the one set, and added that the work would be completed sooner if big construction companies with project management experience and high work force were engaged in the exercise.
According to Barberton’s report, the continuing problems in the process of upgrading of schools that have no roof or toilets will take longer since that is the main focus for now. The report also showed that 15000 and 33000 more classrooms were needed in the existing mud schools. The report also says that it is possible for an increase in number of poor schools to rise from 3500 to 4100 due to poor maintenance.
The project is being undertaken after the Centre for Child Law and the Legal Resources Centre obtained a court order in 2011 requiring the Department of Education to replace Eastern Cape mud schools with brick schools.
