MAKANA Mayor Vumile Lwana hosted a networking event for local public school principals, members of school governing bodies (SGBs) and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union on Sunday.
MAKANA Mayor Vumile Lwana hosted a networking event for local public school principals, members of school governing bodies (SGBs) and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union on Sunday.
Lwana said he wishes “to create a platform for schools to form partnerships and to appreciate schools that have performed well and to encourage those that did not perform so well”.
Even though the event did not draw as many people as the municipality had hoped, those in attendance had the chance to hear how the municipality and Rhodes University planned to assist under-performing schools in Grahamstown.
No one from the district office of the Department of Education attended. Some of the local schools represented were: Hoërskool PJ Olivier, Nombulelo High, Victoria Girls’ High, Amasango and Hendrik Kanise from Alicedale.
Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Dr Saleem Badat appealed to the seven Grahamstown East High Schools to start working on proposals to seek funding. He said “donors have been lining up to assist us but we do not have proposals from the schools.
I am hoping that the seven schools, the department of education and Rhodes University will roll up their sleeves and put this plan together”.
He condemned in-fighting at one of the township schools saying that it broke his heart to see how a well performing school yielded such dismal results.
Badat also made reference to one of Rhodes University’s top students who achieved nine distinctions upon his graduation. He said the student had matriculated from one of Grahamstown’s township schools which was one of the worst performing schools in 2009.
Lwana said: “It is not the culture of this area to have results that really raise concern. We want to mobilise schools to share ideas and resources and assist each other in ensuring that the pass rate of the Grahamstown District increases.”
He said the municipality has been “assisting schools with infrastructure matters, such as fixing leaking pipes and dysfunctional ablution facilities,” and that they will continue to extend a helping hand.
