On Friday 11 October 2013, Deputy Minister of Basic Education Mr Enver Surty officially handed over the school, which is situated close to Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.
The school, built at a cost of R9 million, is located in a remote village surrounding the town of Lusikisiki. The brand new school is an indication of government’s commitment to replacing mud and inappropriate school structures in all corners of South Africa.
First established in 1945, the once-mud school now features seven brick classrooms, a computer lab, a science lab, administration block, multipurpose hall and a Grade R facility. Speaking at the handover of the school, Deputy Minister Surty indicated that after the arduous journey to reach the school through challenging terrain, he was not entirely convinced that building the school was the right option.
However, following discussions with the school principal and elders in the community, he was sold on their passion for education and the development of the young people in the area.
“I must admit that I had doubts about the schools location, but the principal spoke with such a great love and passion for education that I knew we had made the right decision to come here and upgrade this school,” said Deputy Minister Surty.
“When the elders spoke too, they spoke from deep within their souls. They were adamant that this community can only be changed and developed to its full potential through education and the upgrade of Tshantshala SPS is a significant step towards achieving this” he said.
The Deputy Minister indicated that everybody has a responsibility to ensure that every opportunity was taken to educate the young people of South Africa, while government would continue to create a conducive environment for learning and teaching.
“Education is beyond infrastructure, it is about ensuring that our children have the space to achieve their potential. This, like all the other schools being built by ASIDI, is a beautiful school, but what happens in the classroom is what is most important,” concluded the Deputy Minister.
