Winter school for Grade 12 visually impaired pupils
JOBURG - The South African National Council for the Blind invites all visually impaired Grade 12 pupils to join their winter school.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/07/tam27winterschool_414658393.jpg)
The programme has been an annual event on the council’s calendar since 2011.
Alphonce Dzapasi of the council said, “Being visually impaired brings a lot of challenges, especially to pupils at school. Blind and partially-sighted pupils have to work harder than their able-bodied counterparts to achieve good results. This is why we are offering them more encouragement by awarding prizes to the two visually impaired learners who improved the most since last year.”
When they announced the 2013 Lafarge Winter School programme’s winners of the most improved learner, Ntabiseng Lucia Pule from Bartimea School, and Pretty Ndzongomani from Zamokuhle Special School could not believe it. When the council told them that their efforts in the 2013 exams had been noted and rewarded, courtesy of the Lafarge Community Trust, the girls were overjoyed.
They received the news when they were at their academic institutions.
Pule studies human resource management at the Central University of Technology and Ndzongomani studies at the University of Fort Hare. She is doing a Bachelor of Economic and Management Sciences degree.
The students were recognised for their efforts at a gathering of the current winter school participants on 2 July at Filadelfia School for the Blind. Having achieved the same average mark, they shared the prize of R25 000 equally.
The fourth South African National Council for the Blind’s Lafarge Winter School enrichment programme for Grade 12s with visual impairments takes place at Filadelfia Secondary School until 4 July. The council is hosting 100 pupils from 11 schools for the blind.
Details: Alphonce@sancb.org.za; 012 452 3811.