Programme Director, Nelvis Qekema,
Nkosi Nomelisizwe Singaka,
MEC for Education, Mandla Makupula,
Executive Mayor of the OR Tambo Municipality, Cllr Meth,
Councillors from the OR Tambo Municipality,
Principal and members of the School Governing Body,
Leadership and community of Qumbu,
Educators, parents, learners and officials,
Distinguished guests.
What a pleasure it is for me to join the community of Ekhalandoda for the handing-over of this impressive learning facility. We have come all the way from Pretoria to witness this moment, because you are important to us as the South African Government. When Ekhalandoda advances – the nation celebrates!
Today we bid farewell to the old structures that were built in 1977 and welcome the new Mdavuza Senior Primary School. Over and above standard classrooms, this school boasts a computer laboratory, a library, a science laboratory and a multi-media centre. All of these new resources are enablers, they will enable the learners (and teachers) of this school to perform on an equal footing with their counterparts in the big cities.
Many of our schools that are classified as "disadvantaged schools" fall into this category mainly because they lack the 21st century facilities that Mdavuza Senior Primary now has. I trust that the teachers, learners and the community are aware of the magnitude of this occasion.
The new classrooms, laboratories, administration block and toilets will improve the quality of life and education of the learners and teachers. It will contribute to their constitutional right to dignity.
The Government, through the Department of Basic Education, has committed to improving the quality of basic education through, among other things, the delivery of adequate infrastructure to all public schools. To this end, the Department of Basic Education has prioritised the eradication of unsafe and mud schools. The plan is to eradicate inappropriate structures, provide basic water and basic sanitation services, as well as electricity, to all schools over three years.
I am confident that, as owners of this school, the community will ensure that the facilities are kept in good condition and that every attempt is made to protect this investment for future generations.
However, it is important to note that, as beautiful as this school is, it will not and cannot replace the importance of good teaching. These state-of-the-art facilities can only complement good teaching. This means that both teachers and learners must work even harder to gain the full advantage of this school. Parents must support teachers by ensuring that learners do their homework. Where parents do not have the necessary skills to do this, neighbours can assist. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.
Former president Nelson Mandela, one of the world's greatest icons – your homeboy – once said, and I quote: "Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another."
You will all agree with me in that the Eastern Cape has given the country countless leaders, most of whom were schooled in environments similar to the old Mdavuza school. They were born to farmers, domestic workers and miners, but that never stopped them from becoming what they are today. Many had to walk long distances to school, but their dreams were greater than their circumstances. I want to challenge all the learners here likewise to dream big.
To all the teachers of Mdavuza Senior Primary School, the South African Government has provided the resources to enable you to deliver on your mandate of educating the next generation of lawyers, engineers, teachers and professionals. I am confident that you will not fail us.
The Department of Science and Technology has an exciting pilot programme in Cofimvaba aimed at improving the quality of learning and teaching in rural schools. The initiative involves 26 schools in the Nciba Circuit, and is being conducted in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, the Eastern Cape Department of Education and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
The programme will study how the use of tablet computers can best improve educational outcomes in a rural context. It will also test different sanitation options, alternative forms of energy, and models for improving the school nutrition programme.
If the Cofimvaba initiative proves to be a winning formula, together with the Department of Basic Education we will explore how best to roll it out across the country. I am sure that you will agree that South Africa is a better place today that it was in 1994. You voted for a government that is responsive to the needs of its citizens.
It gives me great pleasure to officially hand over Mdavuza Senior Primary School to the Ekhalandoda community.
Thank you!
