The Gauteng Department of Education has merged two under-performing schools, Altem Secondary and Orlando Secondary in Orlando, Soweto, it said in a statement on Thursday.
The new school will be located at the Orlando Secondary School premises.
The step was taken to ”better utilise resources at these schools to ensure quality education”.
The two schools obtained only 14% and 48% pass rates respectively last year. Pupil enrolment was also far below capacity.
Education MEC Angie Motshekga said the merger would result in a 73% occupancy rate and the new school would be located at the Orlando Secondary School premises.
”The overcrowded Job Rathebe Primary School next to Orlando Secondary will then relocate to the Altem Secondary School premises,” the statement said.
A meeting regarding the merger is expected to be held at the Orlando Community Hall on Sunday where members of the community, school governing bodies and learners will be present.
”The reason for shutting down Altem Secondary School is mainly because the school was not functioning fully and teaching and learning must resume effectively,” Motshekga said.
Community Policing Forum chairperson Teddy Martin said he supported the department’s efforts.
”The school [Altem] was not managed properly and was always plagued with problems of youth delinquency, drugs and robberies.”
The decision to merge the two schools was gazetted in terms of the South African Schools Act in November 2005. – Sapa