Athlone Boys High School in Bezuidenhout Valley, East Johannesburg, is in a shocking state, with crumbling classrooms and only five working toilets for 550 learners.
See photos here, here, here, and here.
This is what I found when I visited the school this week with DA Johannesburg East Constituency Head, Dr Jack Bloom MPL, and DA Ward Councillor, Carlos da Rocha. The historic school, founded in 1915, has been allowed to deteriorate alarmingly in recent years.
The poor building conditions undermine learners’ dignity, carry health risks, and reflect a failure by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to meet even the most basic standards. Many taps do not have running water, toilets do not have seats, and even door handles are missing on classroom doors.
The school achieved a 92% matric pass rate last year, up from an appalling 75% in 2024, but there were only 35% bachelor passes.
In addition to maintenance failures, allegations of bullying and corporal punishment have emerged. Such conduct is unacceptable and needs urgent attention. Every learner has the right to feel safe at school, and the presence of these allegations raises serious concerns about learner protection and disciplinary practices.
There are also serious financial concerns, including the leasing of school land and the management of the school trust. We will submit questions to Education MEC Matome Chiloane to get clarity on these financial issues.
We have also been informed of an ongoing underground water leak that the school cannot afford to repair. This contributes to inflated utility bills and places further strain on already limited resources. While financial accountability questions will be formally pursued through submitted questions to the MEC, the immediate priority must be to secure repair funding so that learners are not penalised for infrastructure failures beyond their control.
Moreover, despite its quintile 5 status, the school’s allocation does not align with its actual needs, and collection rates remain worryingly low, a combination that must be urgently reviewed to ensure equitable resource distribution.
A DA-led Gauteng government would prioritise maintenance at all schools, implement a triage system to flag urgent repair needs, and ensure dignified sanitation in every school. This is achievable, and we would make it happen!