Mabuza was impressed with a well-looked after facility and the discipline of both learners and school governing body.
This was attributed to good management and leadership by the school’s principal, 59-year-old Ms Elizabeth Phaladi.
During his interaction on Friday, January 16 with the school principal, it transpired that there was good relationship between the school and the parents. The principal was also creative enough in running the school.
The school was clean and even had Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) system for ensuring security and monitoring activities around the premises.
The premier was also stunned by the learners, that they arrived on time and were eloquent in communicating in English, as compared to other high schools he had visited during the week.
“I am happy the way you are running the school, I see a good culture, and indeed there is life here. We are requesting you not to go on pension just yet, we need your services until you are 65 years old.
“You are serving the nation in a big way, this is a noble course and as this government, we will forever need such leaders in our schools who passionately nurture the future of our children,” said Mabuza to the principal.
He said some teachers were not passionate about teaching but did it to secure employment and could not inspire the learners to look forward to mature and have dreams.
“Some teachers come to schools wearing running shoes and caps, and achieve naught come the results. Such teachers also contribute in destroying our children. You can see in this school here that everyone is motivated to teach and the learners are eager to learn,” said Mabuza.
Hlanguphala Primary School is a no-fee school established in 1928 in Phola near Ogies for children whose parents worked in the nearby mines. It is a feeder-school to Mabande Comprehensive School, which is a few metres away from its premises. Parents contribute at least R250 per annum to the school for administrative issues.
The school principal said she would honour the Premier’s request but for only two years as she was now tired, having taught for 40 years. She said she had another demanding responsibility as she was also a pastor in a local church and that she needed to give more attention to her husband who has had a stroke.
“I am very much humbled by the Premier’s appreciation, indeed I love what I am doing. I am very proud and I feel complete by this gesture to be asked by the leader of government to. I have been working hard preparing my two deputy principals to continue where I will stop.
“There is no magic really in running a school, it takes only the unity between the school and the parents and a bit of creativity. We think alike with other schools. It is just that we always act on the advice we get.
“Besides recording the activities at the school, the CCTV system helps us monitor if teachers are indeed in the classes teaching because we get stories with some teachers.
“Our School Governing Body helps us a lot, without their support it would be very difficult to run a school if the community was disruptive. We are proud that the learners we produce here for high school they get there and excel, but each time credit comes to us,” said Ms Phaladi.
At the school, the premier donated more than 300 school uniform to learners and further committed to donating 50 computers through his DD Mabuza Foundation this year, for the learners to be computer literate.
