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GAUTENG education department will be using anti-Apartheid activist Matthew Goniwe’s legacy to inspire efforts to improve the quality of education to benefit the poor, MEC Matome Chiloane told guests at the annual memorial lecture in Birchwood hotel on Wednesday evening.
Goniwe dedicated his life to fighting inequalities in the education system.
“The most fitting honour to his memory and legacy will be a solemn commitment to continue the fight for quality education for all irrespective of where the school may be located in the province,” he said.
Goniwe was a qualified teacher who believed in quality education for all and as a community leader.
He went on to establish a feeding scheme, a school choir, a debating society as well as boxing, rugby and soccer clubs to keep the youth in his community actively and productively engaged.
Today, the MEC said Goniwe would be proud to hear the Gauteng success story and progress in improving the quality of education using path breaking initiatives such as the ‘reorganisation of schools’ programme.
In the interest of advancing the quality of education for the most marginalised, Chiloane said the department has been able to change the education landscape and accelerate quality learning through the ‘twinning our schools for resource optimization’.
The programme will see the pairing of an under-resourced school (usually located in a township or rural area) with a well-resourced school (usually located in a suburb).
He told guests that he intends establishing a Section 17 Governing Body that will develop a constitution and plans to improve social cohesion and share resources which will in turn, he said, impact on learner outcomes.
Section 17 of the South African Schools Act of 1996 gives a member of the executive council the power to determine, for example, that the governance of two or more public schools should be in a single governing body only if it is in the best interest of education.
Using this approach, he said resources are being shared and learner performance is above 90% in both schools.
Through ‘Schools of Specialisation’, sector specific skills to learners will be provided with the aim to address the skills shortages. The specialty of these schools covers Maths, Science and IT, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Performing and Creative Arts, Engineering and Sports.
Chiloane said learners from Soshanguve Technical High School have built a one-of-a-kind solar powered train.
“It is such inventions that will come from such schools that will assist the country as we deal with the effects of the energy crisis and rising fuel costs. Through the Gauteng Townships Informal Settlements and Hostels (TISH) program, we will be establishing most of these schools in our townships,” he said.
The Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance will play a critical role in ensuring the success of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of education. Through the school’s programmes aimed at ensuring optimal teaching and learning, Chiloane said the school must continue capacitating school leadership and management.
Chiloane applauded Mathew Goniwe school for continuing to educate and empower many teachers, principals and school leadership in general.
Adv Thembeka Ngcukaitobi was the guest speaker at the event. Delegates heard that Matthew Goniwe was no arm-chair revolutionary nor critic but truly immersed in the development of his community, Cradock.
To this day, it remains a befitting decision because the mere mention of his name is a call to action for us all and a reminder of his exemplary life that espoused values such as black excellence, servanthood, humility and ethical leadership.
The Gauteng education department is celebrating the 20th anniversary Celebrations of the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and governance.
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