Pieter finds meaning in his new special school
Pieter Van der Merwe needs high level of support and care and is one of the 345 learners who equally have severe disabilities and whose lives changed radically when the department built them a fully fledged state of the art special school.
Pieter’s life revolves around his school (Thanduxolo Specialised School) and would do anything to be at school - this includes walking close to 16 km to reach school in the event that a bus for whatever reason left him. His school mates are as well severely challenged in one way or the other, and all will depend on the skills acquired from this brand new school for survival.
The skills all of which are offered at this special school include self care, socialisation, perceptual motor development, functional scholastic, work skills, job preparation programmes such as woodwork, painting, renovations, needle work, cane work knitting laundry, domestic and mesh –wire making, beadwork and so on.
Thanduxolo Special school is one of the 18 special schools in the Mpumalanga Province, its new building consist of 10 classrooms, four workshops, administration block, two garages and sport grounds.
The construction of this new school stated in February 2013 and was completed at the end of July 2013 to ensure that Pieter and his mates can take pride of the new environment that helps to instil a sense of belonging and true citizenry.
Pieter’s classmates are from Kwaguga, Mhluzi, Ogies-Phola, Klarinet and the surrounding mine villages within Emalahleni Municipality.
The construction was allocated R39 million to ensure that those who are like Pieter equally benefit from the country’s schooling system and the right to education as prescribed by the constitution of the country.
The MEC for Education, Mrs Reginah Mhaule and her counterpart MEC for Public Works Roads and Transport, Ms Dikeledi Mahlangu and the Executive Mayor of Emalahleni Municipality will on 18 March 2014 visit the school to meet Pieter at the occasion of the official handover of the school to the School Governing Body at 13h00.
The media is invited.
NB. Pieter Van der Merwe not the real name.
For more information contact:
Mr Jasper Zwane
Cell: 083 743 1804
E-mail: j.zwane@education.mpu.gov.za
