Education necessary for prosperity of Province – MEC Kholwane
MEC Sikhumbuzo Kholwane pleaded with the educators to strive for and encourage learners to achieve the highest available level of education, during his visits to three different schools around Thaba Chweu Municipality in January 2015.
MEC Kholwane told learners about the significance of good education and encouraged them to pay attention to their lessons from the first day of school.
“The first day of schooling should be taken very serious because it is the attitude that you develop during the very first day of school that will determine your destiny”, MEC said. He said improved education outcome is critical in attracting more investors to the Province.
“Mpumalanga is currently enjoying consistent improvement in the grade 12 examinations results. These results make a good statement to the potential investors that the Province has a ripe environment for growth and development,” MEC Kholwane said.
He said the Province invests in education in order to build a solid foundation for sustainable development of the communities. “The Provincial Government will continue to provide the resources, within the economic means, to match the societal expectations for and to enable the learners to get basic education.
He cited some of the adjustment budget commitments to illustrate the Government’s commitment to improve the quality of education in the Province.
“An additional R50 million was recently allocated to the Department of Education to ensure that Learner-Teacher Support Material (stationery) is ready and available on the first day of school.
“R120 million was also added to the baseline of the department to build a new school in Tekwane North and rebuild Mathibela and Mugena School”, said MEC Kholwane.
Many learners started their schooling in a new environment following the successful completion and handover of new schools in some parts of the Province.
He emphasized to learners to use education as a tool that will not only shape their minds but also prepare them to be self-reliant in the ever changing social and economic environment.
“All children must be afforded the opportunity to learn so that, through what they gain therefrom, they can contribute to building a better society for current and future generations of these communities,” Kholwane elaborated.
MEC Kholwane visited Lydenburg Hoerskool, Marambane Primary and Kiwi Primary schools during the first days of school reopening respectively. The objective of the Back-to-School was to identify challenges, ascertain readiness of the schools and motivate learners and educators as the school year begins.
