There were smiles, excitement and a sense of pride among Grade One parents and learners on January 14 as Nigel Primary School officially opened the 2026 academic year.

Parents gathered at the school to witness their children take an important first step in their educational journey, marking a memorable start of the year.

School principal Sakhele Nkosi, who was appointed on a full-time basis last year, welcomed learners and shared the school’s vision and plans for 2026.

“Our plans for this year are to convert our school into an ICT school, as we have been twinned with James Nkosi Primary School in Duduza. This is an initiative from the Department of Education to twin former Model C schools with township schools. The programme also supports the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as we are encouraged to move away from purely traditional textbook-based teaching and embrace ICT, as instructed by the minister. As custodians of education, this year represents a comprehensive twinning of our school. Nigel Primary is known for excellence in both academics and sport, and we aim to build on that reputation,” he said.

Nkosi also highlighted challenges related to learner placement, revealing that the school applied to the department for additional infrastructure support.

“We have more than 150 learners in grades four to seven who have not yet been placed, while we have also increased capacity in the foundation phase. We have applied for mobile classrooms to accommodate the growing number of learners.

“For our teachers, we prepared well in advance because stationery, workbooks, and all other learning materials were ready before the school year began. We would like to thank parents for their cooperation and support, and we appreciate their commitment to working with us for the benefit of our learners,” he said.