Oos Rand Secondary to become school of specialisation

There is an air of excitement in Reiger Park because Oos Rand Secondary School will become a school of specialisation.

The school will officially become Oos Rand Commerce and Entrepreneurship School of Specialisation at the launch on August 3.

The school of specialisation will focus on hospitality and tourism.

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) introduced the concept in 2016 to nurture top talent, create opportunities for learners and revitalise township economies.

As part of this strategy, they identified five types of schools: maths, science and ICT, engineering, arts, sports, and commerce and entrepreneurship.

Principal Peter Arendse said the Sunward Park NPO, Market Place Academy (MPA), helped them get chosen as a school of specialisation.

Since its establishment last year, MPA revitalised communities by fostering the growth of essential skills, with particular emphasis on the Reiger Park community.

He said even though hard work lay ahead, the school was excited, and he believed they would make a success of it.

“It’s a big moment for us, and we are thankful for the opportunity. Our school has talented learners. They just need exposure and better opportunities. Some 65% of our learners come from broken households. There’s only a mother, grandmother or aunt looking after them. Becoming a school of specialisation will give these learners hope.

“Being in a school of specialisation will help the learners develop skills and become employable.”
Arendse said to ensure the success of these schools, partnerships with industry, the community and NGOs were critical.

MPA CEO Chantyl Mulder was thrilled that the GDE picked Oosrand Secondary School as its next focus.

“At MPA, we believe in education and collaboration to uplift communities and create economic opportunities. Our partnership with Oosrand Secondary School and the GDE will empower students with specialised skills in commerce and entrepreneurship, particularly in the sectors of tourism and hospitality,”

Recognising the growth opportunities in digital and ICT, agriculture, artisan programmes, tourism, hospitality, commerce and entrepreneurship sectors, MPA partnered with anchor, delivery and implementation partners to support Oosrand.

The collaboration between industry standards and academic integrity forms the foundation of their initiatives.

“Working closely with Oosrand Entrepreneurship and Commerce School of Specialisation, its principal, the School Governing Body and the school’s senior management team, MPA has developed a unique public-private partnership model. Our pilot initiative, focusing on commerce and entrepreneurship with an emphasis on tourism and hospitality, represents an important milestone for the community,” added the chairperson of the MPA board, professor Wiseman Nkhulu.

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