MEC for the Department of Education, Fundile Gade, awarded learners from Nyanga Senior Secondary School in Ngcobo, who represented South Africa in the International Virtual Youth Conference in Lower Saxony, Federal Republic of Germany, last week.
Grade 12 learners from this school who were awarded were Usisipho Duna and Lisakhanya Maliwa.
In their dialogue they shared their perspectives on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which calls for joint action to build resilient infrastructure, promotes sustainable industrialisation and supports innovation which calls for action to combat climate change, of particular relevance to the Eastern Cape Province.
Gade said that they were at Inyanga because it is one of the schools that took part in the World Project organised by Germans, where they participated in dialogue using technology.
“Again they became the top achievers, beating learners from other countries. Today we are here to award them with their certificates. We are here to motivate them so that they continue with that programme,” said Gade.
He added that they had also given them computers, so that they do not depend on the laptops that belong to teachers.
Gade added that teachers are very busy now, preparing for trial exams, so they would not manage to share their laptops with learners. He also appreciated a teacher from this school, Bulelwa Tunce, who is assisting in this project, stating that if she was selfish surely, she would not have wasted her time by helping them.
“I wish we can multiply teachers and government sectors who sacrifice. As the Department of Education, we always sacrifice. This is the only department where workers work without receiving overtime. According to government’s policy, teachers are working seven hours, but you find them in the school premises during midnight hours because they want to help learners.”
The principal of Nyanga Senior Secondary School, Sizo Butshingi, said these learners started this project last year, while they were doing Grade 11.
According to him, the school was identified by the Office of the Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, due to their best results.
“There are two learners who were allowed to participate in each school. They are still continuing with this project. They need to talk about developments in the countries and things that make those countries not develop, for instance the climate change that affects South Africa,” said Butshingi.
He said that he was excited because this shows that they are teaching learners who will be best products one day. Butshingi said at least now Inyanga is fully an international school now.
