Johannesburg - The Mandela School of Science and Technology, the first high school in Mvezo in the Eastern Cape, is in its completion phase and will open in January. It has already registered its full quota of 460 pupils.
The school’s acting principal, Patuxolo Toni, said applications had flooded in from far and wide, indicating the huge need for high school education in this community where most children drop out of school after Grade 7.
The school is a tribute to Nelson Mandela, who dreamt of a high school in the place of his birth. Accommodating pupils from grades 8 to 12, it will give them the option to choose to study science, technology, engineering or agriculture in their last three years of schooling (grades 10-12).
Among the children in the school’s inaugural Grade 8 class are two of Mandela’s grandchildren.
The pupils come from about 22 feeder schools in the surrounding Mvezo community and beyond, and include the children of men and women who helped build the school.
“Whoever they are, poor or privileged, they will be treated equally. With rural children, the only thing that inhibits them is their environment… We will stretch them and lift up the standards to international level,” said Toni.
Construction of the school has brought economic benefits to the area. Jobs were created on site, with about 150 men and women employed during the construction. Building materials were sourced from local suppliers, while the management and maintenance of the school will be an ongoing catalyst for job creation. School supplies such as catering are also set to create more jobs.
The school is being developed according to Siemens’ sustainability principles, featuring wind and solar energy, energy-efficient lighting, auto-mation systems, rainwater capture and water filtration technologies. Pupils and the community will be trained to maintain the technology.
The teachers will all go on an excellence coaching programme before the school opens in January. For pupils attending the school who live further than 5km away, two 33-seater buses have been bought for their daily transport.
The Mandela School of Science and Technology is the result of a partnership between Siemens, the Department of Basic Education and the Mvezo Development Trust, which represents the Mvezo community.
“The facilities at the school are world class. In the Eastern Cape region, enormous challenges remain in education. Many high schools do not even have basics like desks.
“This project shows that when the private sector, government and the community pull together and work towards a clearly defined common goal, great things can happen,” said Rita Nkuhlu, executive director at Siemens SA. - The Star