Education is not the only aspect of schools that need continual improvement. This also applies to classroom safety.

Though classroom hygiene has always been a major issue of discussion among school administrators, the Department of Basic Education has put emphasis on upkeep and new sanitization practices through a training that was held at ICC East London to educate officials on how to utilize the infrastructure funds and what to do with it with the help of School Principals and SGBs because it takes a community to raise a child.

A well-built school infrastructure promotes a positive learning environment, improves overall school quality, influences the educational experience, and results in better educational outcomes.

According to the training, difficulties related to physical infrastructure safety, such as aging infrastructure, poor school building and grounds conditions, and infrastructure safety hazards, continue to be a problem in schools and have a detrimental impact on teaching and learning.

The Department of Basic Education [DBE], Republic of South Africa [RSA], has recently placed a renewed emphasis on school safety.

Many South African schools have become death traps rather than centers of teaching and learning. Extensive research has shown that a lack of safety in schools may contribute to lower academic achievement among students.

It is worth noting that safety concerns in South African schools are growing. Physical infrastructure safety is critical because "physical facilities play pivotal roles in the actualization of educational goals and objectives by satisfying the physical and emotional needs" of teachers and learners.

Physical needs are satisfied by providing safe physical buildings, enough sanitary facilities, a balanced visual environment, a suitable temperature environment, and enough shelter space for work and play. DBE supports this stance, stating that physical school infrastructure is critical to boosting educational outcomes.

Leaders who want to increase learning gains in their schools should examine how hard they strive to improve learners’ sense of safety.

When referring to physical infrastructure of schools, we encompass various components such as laboratories, toilets, classrooms, playgrounds, playground equipment, green spaces, water points and electricity infrastructure.

“Improving school facilities for students is critical to their performance and school safety, whether it is through government or local school district aid, asking community members for facility funding, or undertaking small school construction projects with the assistance of parent volunteers.

When students are properly cared for, their engagement and academic performance can improve”, said Physical Resource Management Director Tshepo Pefole.

The DBE argues that each province must utilize the infrastructure funds to repair, replacing or simply restoring a school's infrastructure is expensive, which is why it is sometimes put on the back burner when budget debates occur. However, failing to fix or replace it might cause additional harm and cost more in the long term.

Chemicals, including lead, can seep into the water from older school buildings with faulty pipes, posing a risk to students and staff.

Just as it is critical to eliminate any trace of lead from school drinking water, it is equally critical to inspect for degradation on a regular basis and keep track of when updates were last made.

Scheduling repairs and routine maintenance also allows administrators to utilize more sustainable materials and select where to spend the maintenance budget in the future.

Deputy Director at DBE Infrastructure Fanele Zondi stated, “the purpose of this workshop is to train the trainer so that the districts officials, circuit officials and schools can be more hands on how to carry maintenance in schools and be able to identify all places that need improvement and utilize maintenance budget in a good and secure way.

Safety and security for schoolchildren, with so many news reports about school shootings and other incidents, excellent school infrastructure must incorporate security systems and processes to ensure the safety of all children.

Furthermore, appropriate playgrounds and recreational facilities can give students with physical activities that aid in stress reduction, social skill development, and emotional well-being.

The Department of Education wants what is  better and good for the learners that is why it is crucial for schools to utilize the maintenance budget and look out for the infrastructure so that even generations to come can have good education under good and better infrastructure.