Programme Director
The Mayor of Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality – Cllr James Nxumalo
Inkosi yamaQadi – Inkosi uNgcobo
Ikhansela ku Ward 3 – Cllr B Chili
Abaholi bamaqembu ezombusazwe ku Ward 3
Director of Pinetown Education District – Mr Kganye
Representatives from Shoprite
Officials from the Department of Education
Chairperson of Mafukuzela-Ghandi Circuit SGB Forum – Mr Mahlalela
Chairperson of the SGB for Amatikwe P School – Mr D Ngobese
Principal – Mr W Zulu
Principals from Neighbouring schools
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and gentlemen;
Let me take this opportunity to extend our greetings to everyone present today. But most importantly, to say we are very honoured that you have invited us to be part of this very important event – the handover and launch of the Shoprite Renovation Project to Amatikwe Primary School.
I do want to take this opportunity to express my humble appreciation for the sterling work that civil society and private companies continue to do in ensuring that they play a meaningful role in the education of the children of South Africa – particularly here in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
In particular I want to take this opportunity to express our most humble gratitude to the Shoprite for being proactive in assisting one of the most struggling of over 6000 schools of KwaZulu-Natal. Your role will indeed go a long way in ensuring that the children of Amatikwe Primary School get a better start in life – thereby allowing them to go on to become the productive members of the South African Society.
This is of particular importance to us because, what you are doing is to heed a call made back in 2009 by the President of South African President Jacob Zuma when he declared education a societal matter. The President called on everyone to play their role – however little - in ensuring efforts to bring about the ever-elusive quality education and the culture of quality teaching and learning in our schools.
At this point I want to state that this administration realises that we cannot do it alone. Without the involvement of communities, community leaders, parents, non-governmental organisation and the private sector – this quality education will remain a pipe-dream.
It is for this reason therefore that I stand before you this morning to express my gratitude to the Shoprite Checkers Municipality for this very important contribution to the education of these young people. We have all recognised that education has a critical role to play in the economic and social development of this country – as has been the case in all developed country throughout the world.
We therefore wish to say to you thank you very much!
With today’s event, Shoprite is saying to us - the community of Amatikwe, the learners of Amatikwe Primary School and to the Department of Education in KZN that, “We have heard your cries – and indeed we are prepared to dig deep into our pockets to assist in your efforts of bringing about quality education to all the children of South Africa – regardless of their geographic location.”
Brief profile of Amatikwe Primary School
Amatikwe Primary School was established by the Church called UCCSA around 1906. The precise date of the establishment of the school is not very clear at this point since none contact had intimate knowledge of this. However the school is know to have produced very high profile leaders in South Africa during its over a hundred years of existence.
Initially the school operated from a UCCSA church building – having been the very first school to be established in the area of Amatikwe. Among those who have been taught here, the school prides itself of producing lawyers, and advocates, doctors, politicians and many other important people in society
Realising the impoverished nature of the local community and understanding the constraints under which the government operates, the management of the school has been quite proactive in ensuring that it mobilises resources – appealing to different companies and organisations for assistance.
It is this resourcefulness that has saw Shoprite Checkers interested in assisting and committing funds to the school. Among the sponsors that the schools has mobilised since 2006 are the following:
- Two classrooms donated by Gem Schoolwear in 2006
- Five Computers donated by Gem Schoolwear – 2007
- Three Computers donated by I-care – 2009
- Repairs and Renovations by Shoprite in 2010
- Twenty-five Laptop computers donated by IQRA Trust + Lapdesks – 2011
- Lapdesks donated by AMWAY - 2012
Currently therefore the school has converted two classrooms into computer centre and library – which has greatly assisted learners to access computer skills however, the school is in desperate need to facilitators. The school is sometimes forced to remove the allocated teachers from the classrooms so that they can assist learners.
- Enrolment 595
- PPN 14
- Classrooms 12 (fair condition)
- Admin Block 1 with principal’s office and reception area
- School performance Fair
- Water & Lights Yes
- Remedial Classroom None (high number of OVC learners)
Shoprite Project
We are gathered here to inaugurate a project that has seen the Shoprite lending a hand and spending about one million rands towards the renovation and repair of the school. Now this is something that would most probably have taken the department quite a long time to achieve but because of the partnership that has since been forged between the school and the company – learners and teachers will now be proud to show their school off to their friends and family.
Now it is that level of commitment that we are looking forward to.
It is quite gratifying to know learn that Shoprite has since 2009 been actively involved in the education of our children in a number of different ways.
- Shoprite Mobile Soup Kitchens was launched in 2009 – a project launched at this very school.
- During that launch, Shoprite discovered with shock the conditions underwhich teachers and learners of Amatikwe Primary operated.
- The school had broken windows, leaking roof, poor state of toilet facilities and children had nowhere to play.
- Seeing this plight, Shoprite Checkers then decided, as part of its social responsibility investment to renovate the school and make the school presentable and a happy environment for the children.
Other Shoprite Checkers Projects
Strokes of Genius Art Competition
In partnership with the Department of Basic Education – this initiative recognises the immense potential inherent in the youth and the need to harness creative talent from an early age so as to produce world class artists. Shoprite Checkers launched the project in 2009 in Secondary schools.
RSG/KKNK Book Collection Project
Due to lack of sufficient funds, many schools and libraries across SA cannot supply their communities with proper reading material. The Bring Books campaign aims to address this serious shortage by collecting books which are then sorted and distributed to needy schools and communities and organisations. The campaign has now collected more than a million books since inception 10 years ago. In 2011, 51 000 books were collected and distributed to the needy communities.
Shoprite Class of 2012
Through this project, Shoprite sponsors school fees for hundreds of learners in South Africa annually. Learners across the country were invited to dream big and enter a competition at their local Shoprite by writing a short essay or drawing a picture about what they would like to be once they have finished school. This has unleashed immersed potential that otherwise would have remained dormant if it wasn’t for this competition. Each year communities are urged to motivate learners to enter the competition.
We have come a long way since the advent of democracy in 18 years ago where one country had 17 education systems. When the new government took over, it had the mammoth task of integrating or coming up with a new system all together that was to give dignity to all the citizens of this country. Of course no-one would be fooled into thinking that that was going to be an easy task as we have all been learning in the process.
But I do want to state that I do want to register my vehement disagreement with a number of assertions that have been made by many people who at some point in their lives were struggle icons. These struggle icons have turned against the system attacking the very education system that we many of our heroes and heroines fought and died for. Some have gone further to liken this current education system to that of apartheid government. I strongly disagree with this.
We have been working tirelessly over the years to ensure that we come up with a system that responds to the unique needs of South Africa. But we needed to start from somewhere – and where we have made some mistakes, we have indeed acknowledged our shortcomings. The current system called the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement came as a result of that recognition of such shortcomings. It aims to address those very challenges that many raised.
I do want to say however that, for me it is exciting that we are now able to debate on issues of the quality of the education that is delivered in our schools and to our children. And that is what is vibrant democracy is about. Robust debate which results in policy shift – if needs be.
This project fits perfectly into this department’s aspirations – the provision of quality education to the children of KwaZulu-Natal. In fact, as a province we want to become the best in the country. It is for this reason that we’ve worked tirelessly since 2009 at improving our matric result – having moved from the 2008 baseline of 58%. We improved in 2009 (61%) and again in 2010 (70.7%). Of course in 2011 there was a slight dip of 2%, achieving 68,1% but this is still above the 2009 showing. We are disappointed with this slide but remain resolute in our determination to improve our position.
As we have said so many times we are strengthening education at foundation phase. This year we have introduced English as a subject from Grade one for the first time. We ask for your support as we introduce the new Curriculum called CAPS.
In conclusion, let me take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you for being with us today. We count on your continued support in providing quality education to our learners. Let’s ensure that we look after these facilities so that future generations can also benefit from them.
Thank you
