Tebogo Monama

Tebogo Monama

There is a solution for parents seeking quality education for their children in Johannesburg's city centre.

City Kidz Pre and Primary School, a Johannesburg inner-city social initiative, is aimed at offering safe and quality education to pupils living in the inner-city.

The school in Goud Street was bought last August and opened in January by the Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Holdings, one of the biggest developers in the city.

The school was officially launched on Monday.

Company managing director Renney Plit said: "We came across the building while looking for buildings we could convert into flats and decided to turn it into a school.

"Most of the schools in the city centre are upstairs and either have a tavern or a brothel next to them."

The school can cater for 250 pupils but at present has only 170 and nine teachers.

"Right now we cater for grade 00 to grade 7," Plit said. "We would like to expand the school to give room to high school pupils as well."

He said his vision was to buy adjoining factories and to extend the school to two classes for every grade.

The company has spent more than R2million refurbishing the school that has nine classrooms, a computer centre, a feeding scheme and an after-care centre.

"Our teachers are well-trained and experienced." Plit said. "Our headmaster, Pierre de Lange, was originally at Bramley Primary School."

The Johannesburg Development Agency donated R150000 towards the development of the school.

The agency's Leila Bethlehem said: "People in the inner-city must have social amenities like schools and clinics. A normal family life should be possible in the inner city."