The My 2010 Schools Adventure national art finals were held at the African Heritage Museum in Pretoria yesterday, where learners from all over the country gathered to show their support for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The campaign was launched in September 2008 and is a partnership between the Departments of Arts and Culture, Basic Education, Sport and Recreation and the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC).
The My 2010 School Adventure campaign promotes both education within the classroom and various cultural activities as well as participation in football by using the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a platform for this. The campaign targeted 12 million learners and more than 500 000 educators across South Africa.
Learners from the nine provinces of South Africa had been working for almost two years in preparation for the national art finals, where the winners from each region showed their creativity in the mediums of literature, art, music and dance.
The campaign aims to educate learners on South African culture and our national symbols, such as the national flag and national anthem, but also to expose them to the cultures of the other 31 teams competing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
To this end, learners were asked to submit pieces of work in the following categories; essay, poetry, art, music and dance, with the provincial winners being able to display their work at the national finals yesterday.
Paul Mashatile, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), expressed his delight at the outcome of the My 2010 Schools Adventure.
"The standard of the work across all the mediums has been simply outstanding and a credit to the learners who put so much time, effort and enthusiasm into this campaign.
"The My 2010 Schools Adventure has allowed learners to not only learn more about their own national symbols, but also those of other countries. They have been exposed to issues of cultural tolerance and this has helped to promote anti-xenophobia messages," Mashatile said.
Gugu Ndebele, who is the Deputy Director-General of Social Responsibility at the Department of Basic Education, says the My 2010 Schools Adventure has been the perfect platform from which the learners can shine.
"We have enormous talent in our schools, they just need the opportunity to showcase that and through the My 2010 Schools Adventure we have seen the positive outcomes that we had hoped for.
"We hope that the learners do not just take this new-found knowledge out of the campaign, but also the ability to work together, bring forth their creativity and the understanding that hard work and perseverance does bring reward," Ndebele says.
In support of the My 2010 Schools Adventure, Adidas has stated it will reward each of the learners who took part in the campaign with a match ticket to a 2010 FIFA World Cup game through their Ticket Fund. Dr Danny Jordaan, Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee, says that a global tournament such as the 2010 FIFA World Cup is much more than just about what happens on the pitch.
"We are delighted with the enthusiasm shown by the learners and the brilliance of the work they have been able to produce, across all the various mediums. The 2010 FIFA World Cup brings the world to our doorstep and it is an opportunity for all of us in South Africa to engage with people from around the globe.
"This is an opportunity not to be missed, to broaden our horizons and showcase not just the exceptional qualities of our country, but to learn about the exceptional qualities of other nations. Well done to all of those who took part in the My 2010 Schools Adventure and we hope they enjoy their 2010 FIFA World Cup experience on match day," Jordaan says.
Building pride in our national symbols was part of the overall aims of the My 2010 Schools Adventure. The Bureau of Heraldry, a unit of the Department of Arts and Culture, has used the project to assist in their "Flag in Every School" and "Flying the Flag" campaigns by giving 3 000 schools the national flag and poles to be erected at their facilities. This was also an opportunity to educate learners on the protocols of both the flag and national anthem.
The national winners in the categories are as follows:
Visual arts
Foundation phase (grade one to three):
* Seaba Mokheseng from Voorwaarts Get School in Free State
* Chane Cloete from Okiep Primary School in Northern Cape
* Vibra Mdluli from Barney Primary School in Mpumalanga
Intermediate phase (grade four to six):
* Matthew Vockerodt form Highveld Ridge Primary School in Mpumalanga
* Nkiyasi Ntimbane from Hitekani Primary School in Limpopo
* Chante Grobler from Parklands Collage in Western Cape
Senior phase (grade seven to nine):
* Mpendulo Khoza from Camalaza Primary School in Mpumalanga
* Kamohelo Msibi from LK Ntlabathi School in Free State
* Nthabiseng Molotsi from Toronto Primary School in Limpopo
Further Education and Training (FET) phase (grade 10 to 11):
* Thorne Khoza from Rhodesfield High School in Gauteng
* Karabo Sedibe from Ditau High School in Mpumalanga
* Sabelo Ndlovu from Kgotso Uxolo School in Free State
Performing arts
Senior phase (grade seven to nine):
* Free State province: Monokotswai Primary School
* KwaZulu Natal: Lambothi Secondary School
* Gauteng: Luyolo Primary School
* Northern Cape
* North West
* Western Cape
* Eastern Cape
* Limpopo
* Mpumalanga
Future Education and Training phase (grade 10 to 11):
* North West
* Eastern Cape: Masiphathisane School
* Gauteng: Pretoria Technical High School
* Mpumalanga
* Limpopo: Risinga School
* KwaZulu Natal
* Free State
* Northern Cape
* Western Cape
Poetry and essay
Due to the outstanding quality of work received from the learners, all provincial finalists were announced as winners at the national art finals yesterday.
Contact:
Dudu Mazibuko
Cell: 083 411 9696
Themba Kojana
Tel: 012 312 5451
Issued by: Department of Basic Education
2 May 2010
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za/)
