Cape Town – Basic Education Deputy Minister Enver Surty says the opening of the new state-of-the-art Silverstream Primary School in Manenberg in the Western Cape has improved the participation of parents in education activities.
The Deputy Minister said this when he went to the area on Wednesday to officially handover the school, which has been built for R60 million.
“One of the educators today said there was hardly any participation of parents in schooling, in terms of education activities.
“As a result of this school being established, there is suddenly heightened interest because the learning environment has changed and we certainly believe that this will contribute significantly to the wellbeing of our learners.
“The school was built as part of the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Development Initiative (ASIDI), a programme that aims to replace schools built with inadequate material like mud and asbestos across the country,” Deputy Minister Surty said.
Silverstream is one of 170 schools completed nationally as part of ASIDI since 2011. It has 968 learners and is furnished with a computer lab, 28 classrooms, a Grade R centre, science laboratory, resource centre as well as a multipurpose hall and nutrition centre where the school serves learners with meals daily. The school was initially a secondary school, which was converted into a primary school.
In the Western Cape, there will be 25 ASIDI beneficiary schools. Silverstream is school number 21, the Deputy Minister said.
Manenberg faces challenges including drug abuse, poverty and crime. The Deputy Minister said the school will be a safe haven for children to keep them out of trouble. He said Manenberg was chosen as a result of these challenges.
“The school is really something that the community has requested for a long time. The community has waited for an extremely long time for the school... Previously the focus was on high schools. We have to start with the primary schools, create a learning environment and make learning and teaching exciting, not only for the learners but also for the educators.
“We must create a safer environment where learners look forward to going to school, where educators will be comfortable and inspired with the infrastructure that has been provided… to set a solid foundation for education,” said Deputy Minister Surty.
The handover of the new school comes after the Deputy Minister handed over another school in Darling along the West Coast, which was built at a cost of R65 million.
Verna Ward, the principal of Silverstream, said the new look school has created a conducive environment for teaching and learning.
“It is amazing. We had a ‘plankie’ school but today we have a pristine building. It is a beacon of hope for Manenberg. I firmly believe that our parents have realised that they need to change because it starts at home.
“We… are promoting good quality education for the children. It is a partnership and I think our parents have realised that with the old school, things were different. Now it is education at the forefront because quality teaching and learning can happen in this environment. That is what we are promoting at Silverstream.”
Jabez O’Lynn, 14, a Grade 7 learner and also a head boy at the school, said he now looks forward to going to school because they have better facilities – from cleaner toilets to modern desks, a library and a hall where learners can do extracurricular activities like drama classes. – SAnews.gov.za
