Ga-Rankuwa welcomes opening of a new school

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and his education MEC Matome Chiloane officially opened Mapenane secondary school in Ga-Rankuwa on Wednesday.

The officials opened the school to the jubilation of teachers, SGB members, residents and learners.

The school is reported to have cost the provincial government R40-million to construct. Much like most schools Lesufi opened while education MEC, Mapenane is equipped with the mod-cons such as smartboards instead chalkboards.

The school has two laboratories and a kitchen to help prepare at least one meal a day for the learners.

Chiloane said now that the school has been handed over to the community, it has the responsibility to guard it against any threats to the safety of learners, teachers and the investment they made in the school.

He said that they would open three more schools in Tshwane soon.

Lesufi encouraged learners to take care of the school and not write anything on its walls.

He spoke against the tendency of destroying toilets and inappropriate writing and drawings on school property.

“Please keep your school clean, especially your toilets. I don’t want you to come here and fail to even use your bathroom. If you don’t respect your school, no one will,” he said.

He said the community was permitted to use the facilities at the school so it had to ensure it was always safe and clean.

“EFF and ANC you can have your conference here but I would like to urge you to keep it clean after using it. We have to take care of the facilities,” he said.

Lesufi also announced that Stats SA donated a lot of the tablet devices to be handed out to the learners at the new school.

“The tablet they’re going to use will include free WiFi access in school,” he said.

He added that he wished the new school would one day be given the school of specialisation status.

“We want to change the narrative that township schools should just be ordinary schools. Township schools must be the best schools because the apartheid system built the best schools for their children so the democratic government must build the best schools for its children,” he said.

Though the majority of people were pleased with the new school, the premier said he was not satisfied with opening a school that was without a sports facility.

He instructed ward 30 councillor Violet Phelwane and other stakeholders to identify land on which a sports facility for the school could be built soon.

“I want the learners to have sports day as well on Wednesdays,” he said.

SBG treasurer Lorraine Ringani said they were happy with the new school and the improvements made.

“We believe that the learners will learn a lot at this school,” she said.

She encouraged the grade 12 learners to commit themselves to their studies because the community expected them to obtain a 100% pass rate.

“They must be at school every day committed to their books because everything is here,” she said.

Female learners were given essential packs containing sanitary towels and bath towels among other things with the provincial government saying this would be ongoing throughout the year to ensure they don’t skip class for a lack of such things.

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