The community of Westbury in Johannesburg came out in their numbers to witness the opening of a newly built primary school in their area this morning.
Everest Primary School‚ which cost R97 million to build‚ is part of Gauteng's mega-school infrastructure programme. The school replaces an old dilapidated asbestos building.
Parents and children were all smiles as they walked into their new facility‚ which boasts a multi-purpose centre‚ a laboratory‚ library‚ sporting facility‚ nutritional centre and a dining hall.
There was also a heavy police presence outside and inside the school's premises.
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi did a walk-about before addressing a tent full of parents.
Lesufi said: "We are not opening just an ordinary school but a school with child care facilities and laboratories that can match the private schools. This is a school with a properly constituted dining hall for the children not to sit under the trees‚" Lesufi said.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura‚ who was expected to be part of the event‚ could not make it.
-SowetanLIVE
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