The General Secretary for the National NPO Congress (NANPOC), Nomfundo Jajula, has confirmed that they would try to help Mditshwa Technical High School in Mthatha, as it does not have enough equipment.
This school, which had 10 learners in Grade 12 last year, obtained 100% overall in their Matric results. This was the first time the school had Grade 12 learners since it was shut down for two years by the Department of Education.
The school now has 125 learners, with more coming to register. So far there are 26 learners in Grade 12 for this year.
Jajula said even though their NPO focuses on non-profit organisations, they also extend a helping hand in communities.
“When we heard that there was a problem at this school, we decided to come and listen to their grievances. We also congratulated them on getting 100% overall,” said Jajula.
“The aim was to hear their grievances so that we can see where we can help them.”
She said they had done this so that when they go out to ask for assistance from government and relevant SETAs, they would know what the school wanted. She said the problems facing this school would not be solved in one day, so they have been divided up, into immediate goals, short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.
Jajula added that this plan would start by solving the most urgent problems.
She said their intention is to see this school going back to what it used to be, before it was shut down.
“We will be monitoring progress and do not want them to drop from this 100 % result they got in the final exams, last year. We do not want the school to be closed again.”
The Chairperson for School Governing Body (SGB) at Mditshwa Technical High School, Bukelwa Swartbooi, said even though the school produced good matric results in 2022 the teachers are struggling because they do not even have a photocopy machine.
“We are hoping that members of NANPOC will help us. The school was shut down due to the small number of learners. We are appealing to the department to help us because the results we received this year will surely attract more learners,” said Swartbooi.
She said some of the problems they have are that since the school is a technical school, learners are supposed to have workshops so that they can do practical work – now they are forced to go and ask from other schools because they do not have equipment.
Swartbooi added that they cannot lock classes because locks were damaged. She confirmed that there is a lot that needs attention.
One of the learners who passed Grade 12 in Mditshwa Technical this year, Mkhanyiseli Macotoza (19), said it was not easy because they did not have equipment.
“We were struggling, but our teachers tried to assist where they could. I am now ready to do electrical engineering at Walter Sisulu University (WSU),” said Macotoza.
Spokesperson for Education, Mali Mtima, said he was still gathering the information about this situation.
