LISTEN: #knowyourbenoni – Local principal champions the power of education

He has a long list of accolades.

James Wandile Makhubu founded Unity Secondary School in 1992.

James Wandile Makhubu is a Benonian with many accolades.

READ:

Giving you a platform to show your talent

He is the principle of Unity Secondary School, which he founded, and has received various national awards for the work he has done over the years.

Makhubu said he focuses on learning and teaching. It is easy to see he is passionate about empowering struggling youth.

READ:

Daveyton school is top in Gauteng

BCT: How did you get to where you are today?

JM: I was born in Benoni in 1958.

I grew up in Wattville and moved to Daveyton in 1986.

In 1991 I moved to Crystal Park. I started Unity Secondary School in 1992 and I was the only teacher.

I had to recruit unemployed teachers and we accepted a group of learners who were known as “learners at risk”.

These were learners that had to leave school because they exceeded the age restrictions, pregnant teenagers and learners who protested political injustice, who was known as the Young Lions.

BCT: Where did you study?

JM: I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of the North (now merged with the University of Limpopo) and I completed my BA Honours at the University of the Witwatersrand.

In 1994 to 1995 I left the school to complete my master’s degree at the Northern Illinois University in the USA.

In 1996 I returned to the school.

https://soundcloud.com/benoni-city-times/james-makhubu-gives-advice-to-struggling-schools

BCT: Tell us about your family?

JM: My wife’s name is Ellen Makhubu.

My children are Wandisile, who is studying BCom Marketing at the University of Pretoria; Khaya who works for McKinsey & Company; and Mpumelelo, who works at Standard Bank corporate.

I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’ve done without my family – they have supported me immensely.

It hasn’t been easy to build this school.

BCT: Why do you think your school was voted the best performing township school in Gauteng and has the best secondary school improvement programme in Gauteng?

JM: I believe the staff work in cooperation with each other.

We focus on things that matter and we don’t engage in anything that is not beneficial to our learners.

I believe in eradicating poverty through education.

We keep our learners off the streets to give them better opportunities, to enable them to get university exemption and to be offered bursaries.

We don’t want to waste talent so we condition learners to be positive and change their situation at home to leave the shacks behind.

We also teach in six languages: isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sepedi, Sesotho, Ndebele and English.

I don’t want anybody to feel ostracised or feel like their language isn’t important.