No rest for local principal
His passion for grooming future leaders is what keeps him going.
Unity Secondary School principal Wandile James Makhubu was presented with the OR Tambo Lifetime Achievement Award and the Ekurhuleni Cluster Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th Annual National Teachers Awards.
The event was held at Gallagher Convention Centre, on March 25.
Makhubu said he is honoured to be recognised for his hard work as a teacher.
“As a former Wattville resident, it feels good to represent Tambo as this year has been declared as the year of OR Tambo in commemoration of his birth’s centenary,” said Makhubu.
Makhubu has been teaching for more than 30 years.
He completed a bachelor of science at the University of the North West, a bachelors of education honours at University of Witwatersrand, and obtained a master’s of science from Northern Illinois University, in the United States.
The Crystal Park resident started teaching in 1992, at Mabuya Secondary School.
He taught for seven years before founding Unity Secondary School, together with the community of Daveyton.
“The school was meant for those who were kicked out of school because of age or pregnancy and for those children who were in exile,” said Makhubu.
“With the community’s encouragement and the help of unemployed teachers, we started with 820 learners in a community hall.”
Makhubu added that the department refused to register the school until they platooned with a nearby primary school.
The school was later allowed to be registered by the government.
In 1995, he was given a scholarship to study overseas by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr Nthato Motlana.
“I came back with new knowledge, information and approaches.”
The school was officially opened in 1996 and was dedicated to OR Tambo.
The school was achieving an 18 per cent pass rate and after two years it improved to 60 per cent.
Makhubu said he has always been passionate about education.
“I love teaching and working with children, they somehow make me feel young,” he said.
“It gives me joy to see children from poor backgrounds becoming successful.”
However, there is still work to be done at the school.
“I will not rest until we get a 100 per cent pass rate,” he said.
“There are new teachers at the school who I still need to mentor and there are learners who need encouragement, so I won’t be retiring soon.”
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