Education
(1) Whether his Department has any plans to build a new school in Ashton in the Langeberg Municipality district; if so, (2) whether suitable land has been identified; if not, (a) what is the reason for the delay, (b) what provision has been made to create a provisional safe learning space for learners, (c) what are the timeframes to find suitable land and (d) when will the building process commence?
My department has informed me of the following:
(1) The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) identified the need to develop a new high school in Ashton to facilitate the splitting of the current Ashton Public Combined School.
(2) Yes, the municipality has availed a piece of land to the WCED which has been fenced off to avoid possible encroachments onto the property.
a) While the proposal to develop a new high school in Zolani remains included in our project pipeline, the WCED remains under pressure to prioritize new schools that create additional capacity in areas of rapid growth and high demand, especially within areas such as the City of Cape Town.
b) In January 2025, the new Ashton Vocational School was opened through a public private partnership in the community, which has alleviated some of the pressures that the community faces and will also provide opportunities as a viable alternative for learners who are unable to cope or develop in mainstream schools or classrooms.
c) A piece of land has been availed by the municipality.
d) The WCED is not able to commit itself to a timeline for this particular project, but will communicate any developments in this regard, once
2 confirmed. The WCED hopes to be in a position in future that will allow us to proceed with its development.
