The Free State Department of Education, witnessing the increasing degradation of school infrastructure in the Fezile Dabi and Motheo Districts, decided to collaborate with Kagiso Shanduka Trust in an effort to provide the children of the Free State with optimum education facilities.
"We want to make education an empowering experience that equips learners with the skills and knowledge to thrive, while contributing to the development of our society," explained Kealeboga Moremba, communications officer for Kagiso Shanduka Trust.
In March 2013 a memorandum of agreement was signed between the two parties to undertake a five-year project that would transform 428 schools in various ways. These included the hosting of transformation and empowerment workshops for teachers, developing school curricula, school management and infrastructure while improving the lives of the local community where possible.
Moremba explained that the needs of the different schools differ and their approach is adjusted to suit individual needs. "All schools will receive the same basic high quality infrastructure such as ablution facilities, classrooms, desks and chairs." She said incentive-based infrastructure is also provided as a reward to schools that achieve certain benchmarks as stipulated in the agreement.
Local community members are used for the construction of school infrastructure to encourage local job creation and empowerment. Masonry construction was the logical way to go to facilitate this, help skills transfer and the retention of useful skills within communities.
When deciding on which product to use for construction, Corobrik's clay face brick range was chosen because of its durability as well as the aesthetic appeal. Corobrik has provided about ten million bricks for the construction of classrooms, ablution facilities, science and computer laboratories and halls at hundreds of Free State Schools.
Musa Shangase, Corobrik's commercial director, explained that Corobrik face brick construction made a perfect choice for school buildings. Importantly they will contribute to lowest life-cycle costs and obviate the durability and maintenance performance shortcomings widely associated with lightweight building technologies.
"Enduring good looks aside, natural thermal properties are always on tap to help provide longest periods of thermal comfort and support best learner concentration on those long hot summer days. The high thermal mass of brick construction mitigates the 'hotbox' learning environments widely associated with insulated lightweight innovative building technologies," said Shangase.
He explained that clay brick construction with face brick comprehensively addressed all the sustainability issues including fire and noise resistant, essential for providing quality safe school infrastructure for teachers to teach, learners to learn, socialise and play.
