The Eastern Cape Department of education’s mud school eradication project has registered a steady diminution recently thanks to an intervention by Basic Education through its Accelerated School Infrastructure Development Initiative (ASIDI) that saw Minister Angie Motshekga delivering Dakhile junior secondary school to the community of Flagstaff on Wednesday, this week.
Dakhile is the second school to be handed-over as part of the first batch of 49 mud schools identified and planned for replacement in 2012 through a Service Delivery Agreement with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), as part of the ASID initiative.
The nine-month Dakhile construction project has been complemented as a success by this schools community.
The ASIDI National Outputs plan 2011 to 2014 will see the eradication and replacement of 496 mud and inappropriate structures, as well refurbish dilapidated and ill equipped schools. Additionally, this initiative will also provide 1 257 needy school with water and sanitation, while 878 schools will be electrified.
In the Eastern Cape, a total of 12 450 learners in the districts of Libode, Lusikisiki and Mthatha will benefit from ASIDI.
The three year project (ASIDI) as outlined by the Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga will also intensify the call by the government to improve literacy countywide, and make education accessible to as many learners as possible especially in rural communities.
“On Monday next week, all learners from this school will attend in new fully furnished classrooms. As if that is not enough, this school has received all the workbooks to ensure that next year on the first day of schooling, educators teach. Critical to all, is the fact that we are focusing on the foundation phase, meaning we want to ensure that our children get education especially in their first five years of schooling”, said Motshekga.
The minster also urged school governing bodies (SGBs) to help the department realise quality education through participating in their children’s lives.
“We are investing in our future through equipping our children with quality education. Every SGB monthly meeting’s agenda must have a focus on curriculum. Please support our schools, look after them as they are centres for community development”, pleaded Motshekga.
She also begged parents to look at their children’s books to ensure that they do their homework, while protecting the teaching time at school. “As parents, you should make sure that all teachers of this school are in class during schooling hours not shopping in town leaving your children alone”, added Motshekga.
The school’s principal Nomfundiso Nxulu couldn’t hold here excitement after receiving keys of the new school.
“I thank the department of education for realising the dream that started 27 years ago, of having a school for this community. My wish is for our government to also give other communities schools of this magnitude as they are real schools not classrooms”, said an emotional Nxulu.
The chairperson of the school’s SGB, Wonga Boltina thanked the department and promised to look after the school as God has answered their prayers of having a school. “This centre will now produce our future leaders and community developers”, promised Boltina.
The minister urged the school to work hard and produce better Annual National Assessment (ANA) results next year. “I want the principal and her staff to work very hard to ensure that next year this school produces more than 60 percent learner results”, concluded the minister.
Angie Motshekga unveils Dakhile junior secondary
Province
