ATC141022: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on the Official Handover of the Lower Mpako Senior Primary School in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, dated 21 October 2014
Basic Education
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on the Official
Handover of the Lower
Mpako
Senior Primary School in
Mthatha
, Eastern Cape, dated 21 October 2014.
The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, having participated
in the official handover of the Lower
Mpako
Senior
Primary School in
Mthatha
, Eastern Cape on 1 August
2014, reports as follows:
1.
Introduction
1.1
A delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Basic
Education undertook a visit to participate in the official handover of the
Lower
Mpako
Senior Primary School in
Mthatha
, Eastern Cape on Friday, 1 August 2014.
1.2
The delegation comprised the following members of the
Portfolio Committee on Basic Education: Hon N Gina MP (ANC) (Chairperson), Hon
N
Mokoto
MP (ANC) (Whip), Hon
A
Lovemore MP (DA) and Hon C Majeke MP (UDM).
1.3
The delegation from the Ministry of Basic Education
included Mr D Ngobeni: Head of Special Projects and Mr M
Dintsi
:
Deputy Director, Physical Planning.
1.4
Members of staff who formed part of the delegation
included Mr D
Bandi
(Content Advisor), Mr L Brown
(Committee Secretary) and Ms S
Ntabeni
(Committee
Assistant).
2.
Background
The Accelerated
Schools Infrastructure Initiative (ASIDI) is a national programme that aims to
eradicate and replace inappropriate school infrastructure in the country, such
as mud school buildings and other unsafe structures. ASIDI also aims to ensure
that all schools have access to basic services such as water, sanitation and
electricity. The Schools Infrastructure Backlog Grant (SIBG) introduced in the
2011/12 financial year, funds the ASIDI programme.
The first phase of
the programme, which commenced in January 2012, targeted the building of 49
schools to replace mud structures. The first completed school,
Mpatiswa
Primary in Libode District was officially handed
over by the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr J G
Zuma on 2
nd
October 2012. During the handover ceremony, the
President directed
that Ministers
, Deputy Ministers
and Members of the Eastern Cape Executive Committee convened handover
ceremonies in every respective community to officially handover schools to
communities. The President reiterated that the envisaged ceremonies afforded
Government the opportunity to demonstrate to the country and the people of the
Eastern Cape the strides made in addressing infrastructure backlogs.
The handover
ceremonies had indeed restored dignity and faith amongst the communities,
especially since the state-of-the-art schools had been built and were being
handed over. The handover ceremonies had been dubbed the One-School-A-Week
programme. The programme was launched on the 17
th
of July 2013 as
part of the celebration of
Madibas
95
th
birthday.
The Chairperson of
the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Hon N Gina MP, was requested to
participate in the programme by presiding over the official handover of the
Lower
Mpako
Senior Primary School in the
Mthatha
Education District on Friday, 1 August 2014.
3.
Briefing Session with the Ministry of
Basic Education Mr D Ngobeni
The Ministry of Basic
Education (DBE) welcomed and appreciated the participation of the Portfolio
Committee in the official handover of the Lower
Mpako
Senior Primary School. The delegation received a brief background on the school
to be handed over and the One-School-A-Week school handover programme. The primary
school was the 48
th
school out of 49 that was being handed over. The
Department still had one school to handover in the Province the following week
in Port St
Johns
. The programme would continue in the
Western Cape where more schools were being completed for final handover
ceremonies.
The Department spent
R 16.478 million on the school. The Lower
Mpako
Senior Primary School was 99.9 percent complete with learners occupying the
school already. With the building and renovations completed, the school boasted
four renovated and 10 new classrooms with a new Administration Block. The
school also had a Science Laboratory, Multi-purpose hall, library, Grade R Centre
and Kitchen facilities. The Department had purchased and supplied the school
with 27 laptop computers with various educational programmes and software
loaded. Four of the laptop computers were for administrative use by staff while
the rest were able to be moved on trolleys to various classrooms at the school
for utilisation by learners and educators.
All classrooms,
administration block, kitchen, laboratory and multi-purpose hall were fully
equipped with the necessary furniture, appliances and apparatus.
4.
Official
Handover of the Lower
Mpako
Senior Primary School
Hon N Gina MP
On route to the Lower
Mpako
Senior Primary school, the delegation visited
the
Vulindlela
Senior Primary School that was handed
over on a previous occasion. The delegation was taken on a walk-about and
site-visit of the school and buildings.
At the Lower
Mpako
Senior Primary School the delegation held a briefing
session with District Officials, local Traditional Leaders, Principal, School
Governing Body, Union and other stakeholders on Governments investment in the
school to be handed over. The delegation was taken on a site-visit and
walk-about of the school before the official handover ceremony. During the
handover ceremony, Hon N Gina MP in her keynote address, urged members of the
community, teachers and learners to take ownership of the school and look after
its facilities and resources. This was followed by the official unveiling of
the plaque which concluded proceedings.
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