Gauteng Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education, Barbara Creecy, handed over an integrated school hall at Tshepana Primary in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg on Thursday.
Accompanied by Imperial Holdings Chairperson, Thulani Gcabashe, Imperial and its Ukhamba Community Development Trust built the integrated school hall at a cost of R3.5 million. The structure which was originally built by the School Governing Body (SGB) in 2007 is now a resource centre with 2000 books, a kitchen and a mini conference room which will be used as a boardroom or a preparation room for educators as well as a science laboratory, technology workshop and a arts and culture class. The trust also sponsored all the Learning Teaching Support Material (LTSM).
“It takes a community to raise a child, but it takes a school hall to build the community. This hall should be used by the community. Government together with the private sector is making a contribution. We can only succeed if we work from school to school, classroom to classroom, educator to educator, and learner to learner” said MEC at the opening of the hall.
MEC Creecy and the principal, Mr Mokete Phuphuma, thanked Imperial for their contribution to the academic life of Tshepana Primary school. “I am proud and most pleased for my school to be the first African township school to have this kind of a centre” said the Principal.
Imperial Holdings and the Trust has furthermore adopted eight high schools in Gauteng. The focus of this project is to improve numeracy and literacy skills at all levels especially the foundation phase. The Trust believes that sound literacy and numeracy from an early age will have a positive impact on future matric results.
Issued by: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government
28 January 2010
Source: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.education.gpg.gov.za/)
