Midrand’s Kaalfontein Secondary School welcomed Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, on January 14 as schools officially opened for the 2026 academic year.

The visit formed part of the MEC’s efforts to ensure schools are ready to provide quality education in safe and modern learning environments.

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During the visit, various activities, including gardening, took place, while senior nurse Nandipha Mthabela from the Gauteng Department of Health’s Integrated School Health Programme educated learners about the adolescent and youth-friendly services available at local clinics.

These centres provide safe and welcoming spaces for young people to access healthcare without judgment, offering services such as mental health support, family planning, PrEP, antenatal care, and consultations with trained professionals.

MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko congratulated teachers, learners, and parents for the school’s impressive achievements, highlighting that the Class of 2025 attained a remarkable 96% matric pass rate.

Addressing learner placement challenges, the MEC emphasised the role of district officials in ensuring that all learners are appropriately placed in schools. “It is the district’s responsibility, not the principal’s, to manage learner placements. We work with schools to make sure every child is accommodated,” she said.

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The MEC also highlighted the growing demand for quality schooling in southern areas, noting Kaalfontein Secondary’s popularity due to its excellent results and disciplined learning environment.

“Parents are drawn here because of the discipline, the school culture, and the consistent academic excellence. Even township schools are gradually becoming places where you would want your child to study,” she said.

On teenage pregnancy, MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko reflected on her efforts to strengthen the Integrated School Health Programme, which was once underfunded and overlooked. She praised the programme’s progress over the past three years, noting improved linkages between schools, clinics, hospitals, and community health workers.

“This is a special project that I took upon myself. We engage young people, communities, and religious leaders to talk about teenage pregnancy and early parenthood. The strategy is working, and other provinces are now adopting it.”

The MEC noted a significant reduction in teenage pregnancies in local schools and hospitals, with most cases occurring in older adolescents rather than very young learners. She urged parents and communities to continue supporting civic education and ensure children have access to healthcare.

Nkomo-Ralehoko also visited Kaalfontein Primary School and Tsosoloso ya Africa Secondary School as part of her school opening day programme.

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