Nova Pioneer Northriding learners recently participated in a mock election campaign, in collaboration with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). The campaign aimed to educate students about the electoral process, voting, and democracy while selecting the school’s preferred culture principle to commemorate Nova Pioneer’s 10-year journey.
The day began with an interactive presentation highlighting the significance of elections and individual roles in shaping culture. Students representing the school’s six culture principals campaigned before their peers, trying to convince them to vote in their favour.
Following the presentation, learners cast their ballots for the cultural principal they wanted the school to focus on in the coming years. A total of 69 students actively participated in the election process.
After the ballots were counted, the ‘greater together’ culture principle, led by Grade 8 learner Angel Magudulela, emerged as the winning choice among learners. This principle promoted unity, collaboration, and inclusivity within the Nova Pioneer community.
Following closely behind were the ‘always growing’ principle, led by Grade 6 learner Khumo Letshweni, and the ‘high expectations’ principle, led by Grade 7 Ovayo Notshe, which secured the second and third positions, respectively.
These campaigns reflected the students’ hopes for continuous improvement, personal growth, and high standards within the school community.
The school marketing associate and event organiser, Pule Letshweni, reflected on the results of the mock election. “We are thrilled to see our students actively engaging in shaping Nova Pioneer’s cultural narrative and celebrating our 10-year journey. The mock election not only provided valuable insights into our students’ perspectives but also reinforced our commitment to fostering a culture of unity and shared purpose.”
The associate dean of operations, Amanda Manda, reflected on the voting education that has been happening at the school. “It is continuous learning. So, it started in the history class where they learned about what voting means and what it means to be in a democratic state. They were also able to understand that not everyone was able to vote and having them reflect and learn about that is very important.”
Manda explained that it is important that the students understand the importance of living in a democratic state. “I think the highlight for me was having our students understand the impact of voting and the importance of using your right to vote. I think our students did not initially understand the importance of the freedom of our country and our history, but now they do.”
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