Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has promised to build a new school at Alrapark Primary School in Nigel, east of Johannesburg, within the next 18 months.

Chiloane says this while visiting the school following last week’s disruptions.

Learners have not been to school for three weeks after concerned parents halted teaching and learning, citing health and safety concerns.

A window had fallen earlier and injured one of the staff members.

Chiloane has also promised to renovate the temporary mobile classrooms that parents complained about.

Chiloane says it is not good that children have to stay at home for so many weeks, as they are losing important aspects of teaching and learning, which becomes difficult to recover.

“However, the district will be working closely with the school on the recovery plan for the learners because they have to recover the lost time, which might include, amongst others, after-school classes, weekend classes, because our children need to cover; their peers have been in class, and they haven’t been in class for some time. Secondly, it is how soon we can get our children back.”

[WATCH]: “Ultimately, what we want is to get our children back to class,” said MEC @matomekopano stating that learning and teaching at Alra Park Primary School in Nigel, Ekurhuleni, will resume as soon as possible. #GrowingGautengTogether pic.twitter.com/odSiBuCnVQ

— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) September 1, 2025

Additionally, parents and the School Governing Body (SGB) of Alrapark Primary have welcomed news that a new school will be built.

The Gauteng Education Department says it will spend between R80 and R120 million for the new learning premises within the next 18 months.

One of the parents says they are pleased by the visit from the district office as well as the MEC.

Visited Alra Park Primary School in Nigel, Ekurhuleni to address long-standing infrastructure challenges that have disrupted learning. Accompanied by district managers, the Infrastructure Crisis Committee, and GDE officials, we engaged the school community and leadership… pic.twitter.com/aaIFry00Cr

— Matome Chiloane (@matomekopano) September 1, 2025