As part of ensuring that schools are ready to receive learners for the academic year of 2022, the MEC for Gauteng Department of Finance and e-Government, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Tania Campell, MMC’s, councillor of the area and the director of education in the district visited three schools in Kwa-Thema to ensure the safe return of learners in schools on Wednesday, 12 January 2022.
The two schools visited are Kenneth Masekela Secondary School, Lefa Ifa Secondary School and the MEC also visited the Early Childhood Development Centre called KwaThema Stimulation Centre.
This campaign, led by the Gauteng Premier David Makhura, known as “the Back to School Campaign” is conducted annually and it takes place on the first day of school reopening, with the aim to assess schools readiness, encourage and provide needed support to pupils.
The first school that was visited by the MEC was Kenneth Masekela Secondary School where she addressed 253 grade 12 learners who were excited for the academic year of 2022.
“Our visit today was to check the progress on the first day of school if the schools have opened and if they have all the necessary equipment’s that they are supposed to use, hence we came as the three spheres of government caring sanitary pads and school shoes to give out to the learners. We are also here to see if there are urgent things that the government should attend to so that we immediately deal with those issues,”
”We were indeed told about a number of issues, the issue of drugs, teenage pregnancy, and the vandalism that is happening in and around the premises of the school,” explained the MEC.
She continued to say they want to make a call to the communities if they can assist them and take full responsibility by taking care of the school property because it is government property, however, it also serves their children to study in a safe and secured space.
The Executive Mayor added that it is important to have an environment where our children learn and they’ve got a healthy living environment.
“therefore it is important that myself together with the MEC, the provincial government and local councillors that we are involved in the area, It is also crucial that the parents are more involved in the school and take over the ownership of the environment that their children are based in,”
“Going forward and to the other schools within the area, as the Executive Mayor I will look at the external environments of the schools and speak with our department as well for the upkeep on the external environments,” she said.
The mayor said there are a couple of programs that she can have through specifically when it comes to teenage pregnancy and substance abuse, to assist the learners and make sure they stay focused throughout the year.
The MEC closed the briefing by saying, “After doing the rounds in the schools, myself and the Executive Mayor we have agreed to have a meetup session where we are going to talk about key things that we call them low hanging fruits that will definitely assist the schools to deal with the issues mentioned”.
By Simphiwe Nkosi
