Programme Director
Inkosi yakwa Makhasa – Inkosi Gumede
Mayor of Big Five Falls Bay – Cllr CC Gumede
Ward 1 Cllr – Cllr Msane and other Cllrs present
Umkhanyakude District Director – Mr J Motha
Officials from the Department of Education
Representative of Donors
Mrs I Thwala – land owner
Chairperson of the SGB – Mrs Nsukwini
Principal – Mrs T.G. Nxumalo
Principals from Neighbouring schools
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and gentlemen;
Let me first of all take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude that you have invited us to be part of this all-important event – the handover of a much-needed project in the community of KwaMakhasa and for the learners of Khulani Special School.
This is a project that was funded by three organisations that operate esiZweni sakwaGumede. I think it is very important for us to acknowledge this because; these organisations and entities have no obligation to spend so much money for towards these learners. Since they are on business, they could have stuck to their business and kept their money and no-one would question that.
But they chose to spend their money for the upliftment and betterment of the lives of the children of this community. And for this I want to say thank you very much to: the Africa Foundation; Phinda Game Lodge and Zuka Lodge. I can safely say that you are all our friends.
We are gathered here to witness the official opening and handover of important amenities that are an integral part for the operation of this institution. But above that, we are here to say that, as the Government of KwaZulu-Natal led by Premier Z.L. Mkhize, we have seen all your many years of suffering and heard all your many decades of cries - now we are here to deliver. It is a sod-turning event where the department is delivering a multi-million rand project that is aimed at seeing to it that people with disabilities are given the same treatment as any other person of South Africa.
I have to say from the outset that I have the utmost respect for the people who selflessly rendered the services to the learners of Khulani Special from the time it was established in 2002. This was at a time when not many facilities were in place – as it is still the case now – though the situation has gotten better – with the passage of time.
They dedicated their lives just to ensure that our children who are living with different kinds of disabilities receive the care and love that all normal children of this country get given in their homes. We want to say that your selflessness is most appreciated. It is exactly what our societies need today.
Khulani Special School historical background
Khulani Special School was established in 2002 when members of the communities of Mnqobokazi, KwaMakhasa and Nibela recognised the need. The Khulani Disabled group got together and took it upon themselves to form the school when it became clear that there were a growing number of children with different disabilities who were unable to receive the care they needed in their homes. But the group further felt that these children were in desperate need of education.
I do want to pay tribute to the following people whose role was pivotal in the establishment of the school:
- The Late Inkosi uGumede
- Mr Buthelezi, Chair of Khulani Disabled Group,
- Mrs Nsukwini, the School Governing Body (SGB) chairperson
- Ms Sunnette Wessels from the Health Department
- Ms Paula Louw from Zuka Lodge
- Ikhansela uKhumalo
Over and above working together to establish the school these people also went out to source funding from neighbouring business establishments to ask for funding and donations. So we want to salute these individuals for the work they did for the children of this community.
For eight years it operated as an independent school. It was only in 2009 that the school was registered with the Department of Education. Khulani caters for learners with different kinds of disabilities such as those who are Autistic, Hard of Hearing, Cerebral Palsy, Physically disabled; Behavioural Disorder as well as those with Epilepsy and all of them come from Umkhanyakude. Having started admitting 30 learners, the enrolment has now reached 157 with 180 others on the waiting list.
Because of the work involved in teaching and looking after such learners, the school can not take more than this number.
Current enrolment: 157 (180 on waiting list)
No of educators: Nine (Seven teachers and two teaching aids all state-paid)
Volunteers: Eight house-mothers, three security guards and two teaching aids and one bus driver
I have noted that of the staff compliment of 24, the majority is SGB-paid since the state pays only 9 these are teachers and teaching aids. Now all the other members of the staff and basically doing volunteer work her. We appreciate your level of commitment to service but I think the department needs to something about that.
Special School Education
I want to talk briefly about Special School Education in the South African perspective. The Special School Education Act of 1948 catered for provision of education for learners with disabilities in this country. This happened at the height of apartheid so what this meant was that children with special needs were differentiated according to the extent of their disabilities and races.
The advent of democracy in 1994 meant that South Africa became part of the United Nations (UN) – which is why in 1995, when the UN hosted a conference to explore issues that were the barriers to learning, this country became one of the signatories. This would then ensure that all learners have access to appropriate education – irrespective of their race, colour or creed. It was at this conference that the Salamanca Declaration was promulgated – which obliged all member states to ensure that all children have access to sustainable quality education.
But being a signatory was not enough, it meant there was a lot of work that needed to be done back home – not least bringing all the differentiations into one - with one goal; that all South African children receive equal education. In 2006, South Africa then launched White Paper 6 in 2001 as a vehicle through which to address all those barriers to learning. The paper sought to address issues around learners with special needs – which are commonly known as disabilities.
In line with White Paper 6, the KZN Department of Education (KZNDoE) is strengthening special schools to provide education to learners that need high levels of support, provision of support to neighbouring full service and mainstream schools in terms of skills and resources.
It is against this background that KZNDoE is allocating funds to strengthen special schools through a number of ways including provision of adequate and relevant physical infrastructure, learner transport, training as well as employment of staff. Granted there is still quite a long way before this department can say we have made an indelible mark on this. We have only scratched the surface.
There are 74 designated full-service schools, which means that learners with lower levels of disability can be accommodated in ordinary public schools. 13 Special schools are resource centres that cater for moderate to high levels of support respectively and are thus able to assist schools with more needs. But again, this must be seen against the legacy that was left by the apartheid regime. For if you look at the areas that are in desperate need of schools – they are predominantly found in rural areas - which are largely inhabited by indigenous Africans.
Special and full service schools Umkhanyakude District
1. Macabuzela F S School
2. Mpontshini F Service School
3. Nkomo F S School
4. Madonela F S School
5. St Phillips F S School
6. Somfula F S School
All the six above are fully-fledged with required resources such as support centres, furniture, career units and staff
7. Thengani FS School is nearing 98% completion with furniture but still requires career unit
8. Nonjinjikazi FS School
9. Mzila FS School
Support Centres for both the above schools are at Roof level, neither has career unit though teaching is on-going. All the nine Schools have received funding for care and support and are being monitored
10. Bhekinkosi FS School – has been designated but nothing has been done yet
11. Sisizakele Special School - Bhambanana
12. Intuthuko Special School – KwaHlabisa construction is on-going at 60% completion
13. Khulani Special School
All these schools are fully functional but with very limited support staff and resources. House mothers and drivers are paid by SGBs at Khulani and Intuthuko.
Indications are that 34 964 learners with disabilities in KZN alone are still out of school. The department is therefore working to ensure that these children are identified and placed in schools. We are determined to ensure that this happens.
This is of particular importance to us because, when the President of the Republic, President Jacob Zuma made a call back in 2009 that education should be everybody’s business – he wanted everyone to get involved and to ensure that no child is left in the periphery. It is for this reason that we continue to urge everyone with the means – however big or small – to play his or her role in ensuring that efforts to bring about the ever-elusive quality education becomes a norm and a reality wherever we are in the province.
At this point I do want to state that this administration realises that we cannot do it alone. It is for this reason that we are always calling upon private companies and entities to lend a hand to ensure that quality education becomes a reality for all our children. Our future depends on it.
It has been quite a humbling experience to learn about the role played by the three organisations to help alleviate some of the difficulties that the teachers and staff of Khulani Special School have had to deal with. For this we do want to thank Phinda Game Lodge, Africa Foundation and Zuka Lodge and say – You are our best friends.
These are partnerships we need to work on strengthening. It is a fact that if we wait for the department to do everything, progress will always be slow. I therefore wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the principal and her staff and supporters for all your activism and industriousness – these things wouldn’t just come to the school they require innovative leaders with progressive ideas.
The education offered here should help shape these young people into independent thinkers and productive members of society. I therefore would like to borrow from Nelson Mandela’s words when he said without education there’s very little one can do for themselves they’ll always be expect to be given: “Education is the most powerful engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a 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”
Project handover
- Two classrooms
- Three Store-rooms
- Five Toilet seats (two for boys, two for girls and one for disabled)
- Fencing
This project cost was R1. 2 million.
Approved scope of the new project by the department
- Sixteen Classrooms,
- Three Multipurpose classrooms,
- One Media centre,
- One Computer room with computer desks and electrical connections,
- One Activity room,
- Boys Hostel rooms (accommodates 100 boys) with 16 Showers and eight toilet seats,
- Girls Hostel rooms (accommodates 100 girls) with 16 Showers and eight toilet seats,
- Fully-fitted Dinning Hall, fully-fitted kitchen with cold room and fully-fitted laundry,
- Admin Block – with Principal’s office, Deputy Principal’s office, Consulting room, General Office, Staff Room with kitchenette, strong-room, Stationary room, Printing room, two Sick rooms (one for males and one for females), Entrance Halls,
- Three Offices outside Admin Block,
- Three Small store-rooms outside Admin block,
- Change Rooms, Guard House,
- One girls toilet block (with five toilet seats and one disabled)
- One boys toilet block (with five toilet seats, two urinal and one disabled)
- One teachers’ toilet block (with 6 toilet seats
- Two Water Tanks attached to each Block
- One Guard House and Fencing.
This project will cost the R54.8 million. Such is our commitment to all the children of South Africa.
We have come a long way since the advent of democracy 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 altogether 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. Special Education has also been receiving attention as I have mentioned above. While we have made some strides we do realise that there is a lot more that still needs to be done in this area.
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 Statements (CAPS) came as a result of that recognition of the shortcomings in the system. 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.
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 1 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, June being the month dedicated to the Youth of South Africa, it will be very important for our young people to think carefully about what this means and use this period to their full benefit. While they need to argue for things such as housing and others, my sense is they need to look at the real issues that remain problematic to them.
I want to appeal to the Youth of South Africa to begin to take education a lot more seriously – debates are fine but sometimes while debating you might lose sight of what you as an individual or even those close to you really need to do in order to take the struggle of the much-celebrated youth of the 1970s. Let us engage with the aim to build this beautiful country of ours. Let us all pull together in order to make sure that future generations learn only positive attributes from us. Only then can we succeed.
Let me also take this opportunity to thank you all for coming and say that we count on your continued support in order for us to provide quality education to our children. Let’s ensure that we look well after these facilities – if we do that future generations will learn a lot about the struggle of yesterday and today and they in turn will appreciate and strive to do better. We need these facilities to stand long after we have all departed from this earth.
I thank you
