Dr Dlamini, we salute you

AMID much gloom and doom in KwaZulu-Natal, which has been ravished by political killings and assassinations as a result of apparent rivalry in the ANC, there are important positive developments which deserve to be more widely published inside and outside the province.

One of these was referred to in an editorial in The Mercury titled “The pen is mightier than the gun”, September 11.

This relates to the wonderful work being done at a high school in uMlazi – Ogwini Comprehensive Technical High School where Dr Vusumuzi Dlamini is the headmaster. His school has 551 outstanding pupils writing matric this year. This might be the biggest matric cohort in the country. He works in a disadvantaged community to produce outstanding matric pass rates of above 90%, year in and year out.

What also makes his contribution exceptional is that while other schools resort to underhanded practices in their desperate bid to maintain a 100% pass rate involving, inter alia, encouraging weaker pupils to enrol as part-time candidates, he has done the opposite – endeavouring to give every child a chance to realise their potential.

What makes Dlamini exceptional is that he leads by example, holding a PhD in educational psychology and an MBA.

With such exemplary qualifications and his experience, he could occupy a chair in an educational faculty in any university.

He has, however, chosen to work at a high school in a disadvantaged part of eThekwini so he can make a difference.

His contribution and those of the teachers who work with him deserve to be saluted and acknowledged.

Although our educational system in the disadvantaged and impoverished areas of our country is in many cases dysfunctional and leaves a great deal to be desired, there are many pockets of excellence that need to publicised in the media and given every kind of encouragement.

South Africa is a country of infinite potential and we need to know more about people like Dr Dlamini, who are realising this potential and making a difference.

If this can be done in uMlazi it can be done in other townships in South Africa, where there are pupils from disadvantaged communities.