Safe, Green, Sustainable South African schools

Safe, green, sustainable South African schools

Sunday, 09 March 2014 00:00

“All schools in South Africa can become places that are safe, green and sustainable, and which provide learners of all ages with spaces and facilities that can far better meet their needs than the current situation. South Africa’s private schools are a good example of what schools can offer and there is no reason why government schools cannot offer inspiring, engaging environments.” Sivile Public Primary School in Khayelitsha. The Sustainable Schools Initiative has already undertaken two feasibility studies in two pilot schools in Cape Town – one in Khayelitsha (Sivile Public Primary School) and one in Mitchell’s Plain (Glendale High School). The images demonstrate the prison-like environment, entirely lacking in any sense of greening or sustainability. Sivile Public Primary School in Khayelitsha. The Sustainable Schools Initiative has already undertaken two feasibility studies in two pilot schools in Cape Town – one in Khayelitsha (Sivile Public Primary School) and one in Mitchell’s Plain (Glendale High School). The images demonstrate the prison-like environment, entirely lacking in any sense of greening or sustainability. These are the words of Cape Town-based architect and engineer Vernon Collis of Collis & Associates www.collisassociates.net/ whose concept of comprehensively retrofitting schools is called the Sustainable Schools Initiative. “We are committed to demonstrating that greening, green building and technology can significantly reduce the operational costs of poorly resourced schools,” says Collis. “This has multiple benefits as it frees up money for more educators, creates jobs and livelihood opportunities, improves food security and, most significantly, transforms the experience of learners in government schools.” Recognising the value of the Sustainable Schools Initiative and its compatibility with the One Million Climate Jobs Campaign (MCJ), the NGO that coordinates the MCJ – the Alternative Information & Development Centre (AIDC) – approached the WWF Nedbank Green Trust for funding to conduct six feasibility studies on selected rural and urban school across South Africa. The funding was granted in mid-2013 and the project is currently at the stage of selecting the six schools. “The MCJ brings together over 40 organisations, representing all sections of civil society, including universities, trade unions, environmental NGOs, faith-based organisations and communities,” the AIDC’s research associate Jeff Rudin explains. It promotes a just transition to a low carbon economy with maximum job creation through state-led investment, which is what we are hoping will happen with the retrofitting of schools. “Our ultimate aim is to comprehensively retrofit all government schools, not only for greening and climate change purposes but also to humanise the schools for the learners and teachers, and to transform them into the community hubs they should be by linking them with the surrounding neighbourhoods and communities.” Following the Sustainable Schools Initiative model, each school should be retrofitted so as to reduce dependency from the national grid. Each school will, where appropriate and possible, have its own fruit and vegetable garden fed by harvested water, be retrofitted with alternate energy systems and energy saving devices and improved insulation and shading control. “Ideally schools should not spend their limited budgets on, or depend entirely on municipal supply and services for electricity, water, telecommunications, storm-water and refuse removal,” Collis explains. “These services are becoming increasingly expensive and can be expected to become evermore intermittent in South Africa.” Each school’s architectural form will also be considered and amended where appropriate. Sunscreens and new windows or shutter could be added to provide better thermal comfort and natural light. Any building that needs to be done will make maximum use of on-site and recycled local materials. Collis has shown that a vast amount of material that is thrown away can be recycled, including bricks from buildings being demolished. He also adopts an approach of only using machinery on building sites when it is absolutely necessary. This way he makes maximum use of labour to do the work, thereby creating jobs and at the same time lowering the carbon footprint of the building or retrofitting process. He and his associates have completed several projects using this approach ranging in scale from economic housing and up-market houses to industrial and commercial buildings. The Sustainable Schools Initiative was conceptualised in partnership with the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union and it was presented to various government officials at a national, provincial and local level. The project has been formally endorsed by the National Education Department, the Western Cape Education Department and the National Public Works Department, but so far no finance has been forthcoming. “We thought the best way to demonstrate what can be done is to conduct these feasibility studies and get at least two pilot projects completed that can then be replicated by government. All work on the schools will be undertaken by people in the school’s community, creating jobs and skills transfer, which will further enhance the school’s link to the community,” says Rudin who was the national research officer for the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) for many years before joining the AIDC in 2011. The Sustainable Schools Initiative has already undertaken two feasibility studies in two pilot schools in Cape Town – one in Khayelitsha and one in Mitchell’s Plain. “To liken these two schools to prisons is absolutely accurate and, unfortunately, they typify too many government schools,” comments Rudin. Physically, emotionally and symbolically they feel like prisons, with overbearing burglar bars and a cold, hostile atmosphere. The classrooms are too hot or too cold, and badly illuminated. Social spaces, if they exist at all, are windswept and dusty. Most surfaces are concreted and there are no green spaces. Bills for electricity, water, telecommunications, rates and security are high. Crime, drugs and theft directly affect the schools, and there is no community engagement or participation on the premises, which detracts from the community’s interest in protecting the school. A brief summary of the two schools is as follows: Pilot School 1: Glendale High School, Mitchell’s Plain, Western Cape Approximately 1200 learners aged 14-18 years; Predominantly Afrikaans-speaking; English instruction; Government funding with additional funds from school fees; Teachers help feed learners at the teachers’ expense; Not a maths and science school. Pilot 2: Sivile Public Primary School, Khayelitsha, Western Cape Approximately 1000 learners aged 6-18 years; Predominantly Xhosa-speaking; mostly English instruction; Government funding only; NGO food progamme provides meals to learners, twice daily, five days a week; Grade R introduced in 2013; Has a strong choir, as well as maths and science base. Feeder school for a local business school. Over the past year the AIDC in partnership with the Sustainable Schools Initiative has scoped the two schools, and held workshops with the principals, teachers, learners and parents from both. “Our aim is to complete the detailed feasibility studies on all six schools by the end of 2013,” says Rudin. “We will also hold workshops with the communities in which the schools are situated. The two pilot schools will then be selected. From here we will cost the retrofitting of each school, and, finance willing, we can start the process of retrofitting.” SOURCE:NedBank