President Zuma visits Tembisa

President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma, visited Marhulana Primary School in Tembisa on July 20.

The aim of the visit was to monitor the state of teaching and learning, as well as the progress made in improving the conditions of learning at the school.

Teachers and the community made requests to the president for the development of the school.

Pres Zuma was accompanied by the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga.

Blankets and school bags were handed over to 695 learners at the school.

The president was warmly welcomed by Marhulana Primary School learners and the community of Tembisa.

“We also remember how Madiba reached out to communities to help the needy in many ways to improve their living conditions,” said Pres Zuma.

“We are also celebrating Madiba’s love for education. Even in his retirement, he still worked with the private sector to get financial resources to build good schools in underprivileged communities.”

Pres Zuma said education is the key to building a better South Africa.

“Our government has worked hard to fulfil the vision of the Freedom Charter, which says the doors of learning and culture shall be opened.”

“This is why over 80 percent of our schools are now no fee schools. Children of the poor can attend school without paying fees, so that each and every child can have an opportunity to go to school and receive education,” said Pres Zuma.

He said poverty must not hinder children from getting education.

The president said despite all achievements which have been made, the school is not perfect, it has some of the challenges that other townships schools have, that government can still work on and improve.

“Among the many things that you complained about was the library, which did not have books, and the department of education has provided these books and will continue to fill the gaps when the need arise going forward,” he said.

“As the Department of Basic Education (DBE) we have come to a deliberate determination that in-order to improve literacy and reduce the number of learner drop outs, we must make reading fashionable,” said the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga.

“We cannot do this without providing fully functioning libraries in our schools. I am happy to report that in our quest to improve learner outcomes through reading, last year, to mark the International Nelson Mandela Day, we launched an ambitious programme to revitalise and make it possible to have 1 000 school libraries in all needy schools per year from 2015 until 2019,” she said.

The president also urged learners to continue to study and to take their lessons very seriously.

“Government has many plans, which need educated people to make them successful, and we count on you learners to do that.”

“You will be successful if you listen to your parents and to your teachers,” Pres Zuma said.