Chaka Chaka encourages teachers to persevere
She also encouraged teachers not to be discouraged in doing their work, but to stand tall with confidence while upskilling themselves in this noble profession.
MBOMBELA – Well-known musician, entrepreneur, humanitarian and down-to-earth Yvonne Chaka Chaka vowed to rally behind the country’s teachers for better salaries.
“I will vote for you to get paid decent salaries because you do so much work and yet you get paid peanuts. I will toyi-toyi for you to get a higher salary but you must promise that when I toyi-toyi, you don’t join me but stay in class and teach the children,” remarked Chaka Chaka, who is a member of the Penryn Trust, at Penryn College during the recent Penreach Annual Teacher Awards.
She also encouraged teachers not to be discouraged in doing their work, but to stand tall with confidence while upskilling themselves in this noble profession. “You must know that confidence goes along with competence. Don’t take short cuts, treat our children as your own, not as boyfriends and girlfriends,” she said.
She also emphasised the fact that a learning nation is a better nation, narrating how her own life experiences never discouraged her.
“After falling pregnant at 19, just after matric, I promised my mother to study, hence I went to university and studied law.
Fame comes and goes, but education remains forever,” she said. Chaka Chaka also thanked all dedicated teachers and urged them not to lower their standards, but give learners a better education.
She was accompanied by FirstRand’s Mr Paul Harris (trust chairman) to the ceremony.
SInce 1993 thousands of teachers have voluntarily attended workshops every Saturday at the college. Classes are facilitated by Penreach staff and teachers and external facilitators using the facilities of Penryn, in one of the largest educational outreach programmes in Africa.
At the end of each year, the teachers and schools that have shown the greatest improvement and application of new practices, are honoured at a special ceremony.
Ms Lucy Monyane, the deputy director general: curriculum with the Mpumalanga department of education, followed on this message by reminding teachers of their function in their communities.
She also commended organisations like Penreach for contributing to the objectives of the department of education in boosting learner performance through the development of teachers.
“Penreach changes teachers, and professional teachers can change whole communities.
“These changed communities can in turn positively impact on the economy of the entire province,” Monyane said.
For more information about Penreach contact Susanna Oosthuizen on
013-758-9091.
