DCM and Growsmart reward Maelebe Primary for hard work
Maelebe Primary School in Tukakgomp was awarded gifts for its educational excellence.
On December 1, Maelebe Primary School received iPads, projectors, headphones and speakers as part of winning the Growsmart Educational Programme in the literacy and story writing categories for 2022. The prizes are to the value of R100 000.
The gifts were handed over by Growsmart representatives, Dwarsrivier Chrome Mine (DCM) management, Assore and Boleng Trust, which are sponsoring the educational programme.
It is not the first time this school has come first in a Growsmart competition. In October, Maelebe received two digital smartboards, 30 tablets, three computers and some dictionaries for winning the 2021 literacy competition. The school was rewarded with prizes worth R300 000 for improvements after Takatso Lesenya took the top honours.
Teachers, the school management team and Ngwaabe Circuit officials were overjoyed to see the school succeed. “About a decade ago, we found the school struggling with no resources, but through hard work, it is one of the best schools in the Ngwaabe Circuit. We are grateful for the community’s support, mines such as DCM and the education department. Today, we are excelling academically because we have resources.
“The educators and pupils saw an opportunity when the Growsmart competition was introduced. We grabbed it with both hands and we have excelled in it, since its launch in 2020,” said the principal, Joel Nkoana.
The school’s educators promised to clinch the competition again in 2023. Tlotlego Mokgoko, DCM’s socioeconomic development superintendent, said education is a key element of a thriving community.
“We vow to continue investing in education and supporting such programmes. We plead with local schools to grab these kinds of opportunities as they help to improve and develop our schools. We are glad to see Maelebe thriving because of the initiative.”
On behalf of the Ngwaabe Circuit, Charlotte Tshehla also applauded DCM for introducing the Growsmart programme into local schools. “These kinds of educational initiatives improve our learners. Our vision is to improve Sekhukhune East’s matric results. We don’t want to see ourselves as an underperforming district in Limpopo and South Africa any longer.”
Growsmart’s Khanya Gusha encouraged the pupils to participate in the upcoming competitions in 2023. She urged other schools to up their game and perform wonders.
Gusha said the Growsmart programme has been at the forefront of advancing quality education for all. “Growsmart started in 2009 as a literacy competition in the Western Cape for learners in grades five and six from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. It has since grown to include mathematics, natural science, story writing and poetry, debating and entrepreneurship. The programme expanded to the Eastern Cape in 2018 and Limpopo in 2020.”
She said the programme is designed to support educators with its CAPS curriculum-based study material, and to excite the learners with fun and colourful learning opportunities.
“This programme has proven to be more important than ever over the past two years with the opportunity it provides pupils to participate in a safe and remote environment (from school or home), and it remains something consistent for them to look forward to.”
